Electronic Arts’ Skate was one of the big surprises of 2007. Many had challenged Tony Hawk’s dominance of the extreme sports genre, but Skate was the first to really deliver a knockdown punch with its innovative controls. Now, in the face of being outsold two to one, Activision has plans to innovate with the Tony Hawk franchise.
Speaking with USA Today, Activision Senior Vice President Will Kassoy referenced the “Tony Hawk Innovation Plan,” but refused to elaborate. What could this plan be? The easy speculation is a move toward a new control scheme akin to Skate’s. However, with Activision’s success with the Guitar Hero franchise and now Call of Duty 4 online, one should not rule out the move to a more multiplayer friendly setup. And yes, Tony Hawk Wii featuring the Balance Board seems inevitable.
The USA Today article goes on to note that the Tony Hawk franchise has sold over 30 million copies. That puts it in rare companies with the likes of Halo, Super Mario Bros. and Madden Football. It would be a shame to see such a vaunted franchise die, so any innovation plans are welcomed.
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- Skate proves Electronic Arts isn’t all bad
- “DJ Hero” trademarked by Activision
- Guitar Hero to become Rock Band clone, and Call of Duty goes MMO
- Dream On? No, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is offficially announced
- Mario Kart Wii thinks eight is great
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