14 DAY TRIAL // Activision is making a lot of money, which isn't actually very surprising since, with franchises like Call of Duty or Guitar Hero, you wouldn't be starving, to say the least. But another big piece of the large amount of profit that the company is making comes from the sales of dedicated peripherals, like the plastic instruments for the music games.
Well if you still have plenty of room in your living room and if you're a Tony Hawk fan, then the latest announcement from the corporation will be to your liking. The next skateboarding game from Activision, Tony Hawk: Ride, will feature a plastic skateboard players must sit on during the game.
The wireless skateboard controller will offer a dynamic experience as it uses accelerometers and motion sensors in order to allow players to physically control the action on the screen by performing various movements and gestures. All of these will easily translate into tricks in the game, without players having to use complex button combinations or analog sticks.
“Tony Hawk: Ride is a massive step forward for the franchise and the gaming industry as a whole,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing, global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. “The skateboard controller will redefine sports games by offering players a true skateboarding experience, hands-free, playing with friends and family at home or online in a variety of different locations.”
His excitement is shared by Tony Hawk who says, “This is the game I've always wanted to make. Playing on the board is unlike any other game, and I'm excited for everyone to have the chance to feel what it's really like to experience the true feeling of skateboarding.”
Whether or not this gamble will actually work is still in the air. We'll have to wait until E3 to see people on this board and until later this year when it will arrive for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles.