The actual lyrics for the "Eyes of a Panther" chorus are "She's got the eyes of a panther - She's got lips like Satan - She's got the eyes of a panther - And you'll soon be matin'." It loses something when you strip out Satan and matin', but I suppose there are rules you need to follow when making an official video game trailer.

Schmitty, from Skate website Epicly Trife, has posted on his Twitter account "I just got told 'tonight we gotta celebrate', one of the bro's got offered to be in SKATE 3". Which reader Ultimate Russ, who first spotted the news, deduces to be skater Chet Childress.

We're cool with a third Skate, on one condition: it has another overblown, live-action intro.

As with all rumours, we've contacted EA. Will let you know if we hear back.

And only have to wait a week to get my hands on (some of) it. A competition page on Xbox.com has let slip that a demo for the game will be ready for download on Thursday January 8 (meaning a PSN version will probably be out on the same day), along with a chance to win some Skate 2-related prizes.

Skate 2 Demo Download & Win Sweepstakes [Xbox]

So how are EA’s Skate team planning on avoiding the same pitfalls? After all, Tony Hawks started out simple, just like Skate has. EA’s Shaun Laker explains.

As long as we keep putting out great games and don’t rush it out and polish it and make sure we’re listening to the community and hearing what they’re having to say [we will avoid that]

So there you have it! As long as you keep asking for better graphics and slight tweaks, you’ll be OK. The second you kids start asking for giant heads and Dirty Sanchez cameos, though, it’s all over.

‘Skate’ Team Has A Plan To Avoid ‘Tony Hawk’ Syndrome [MTV]

The specific day on which EA "drops the deuce" with Skate 2 is still to be determined, but at least you know when to start trading all those unwanted games from your holiday haul.

Skate 2 Coming in January [IGN]

"That's a great question. Right now, again, that is driven by the fact that the game was made by Black Box, and the Black Box team is near the Need for Speed team, and those guys work together in Vancouver. That's just where we put it."

But what Quigley calls the game's "core nucleus" also had a role in the decision.

"But in that case specifically, we are kind of going "anti-everything" with that game. It's more about getting back to the roots of skating, and it's just trying to be more of a real... having the style and tone and feel of actually getting on the board and getting out in the streets. In that case, it's not about the leagues, the points, or the standings. It's just about, "Hey, how does it feel to go out on the board and see what you can do?

"Ultimately, that kind of core nucleus of the game drove the fact of whether it should be an EA Sports or an EA Games game, at the end of the day. That and the fact that the Black Box team is part of us."

In-Depth: Electronic Arts' Quigley On The State Of EA Games [Gamasutra]

"Nowadays, all screenshots basically look like they are from the same post-apocalyptic World War III nuclear fallout nightmare," smakus writes. He finds games to be stress-causing and not stress-relieving because of the dreary, gritty environments we're subjected to, compared to grim titles like Doom and Duke Nukem that dealt death largely in primary colors.

Next-gen "realistic" games (i.e. non-cartoon protagonists or action) with lively, bright colors? I can think of Bully, although the winter months stretch of that game started getting me in a funk. TF2 has cartoons in a real environment. And there's Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but that's probably outside the scope of the writer's argument. I'm sure all of you can think of more.

Like I said, I am color-blind as a bat, and so asking my opinion of a color is almost beyond useless. But it is a good question regarding design: What is ultimately the reason people will buy a game — realism or fun? — and how should that govern the rest of the game's look, feel, sound, story, etc?

I Miss Color [TrustyGamer]

Yeah, Skate 2 is coming. We knew that. This is EA, after all, and it'll never miss a chance to pump out a sequel. But we have to question the wording in this dramatic teaser trailer for the skateboarding sequel. "We're dropping the deuce"? Isn't that a euphemism for, you know, going? Number two? Big potty? Caca?

Consider it rumor for now—whilst fantasizing about Wii Balance Board control!—and pretend to be surprised when EA and IGN work out their arrangement on the game's potential public reveal. In the meantime, we'll check with EA to see if there's more substance to this.

Formerly the Home of: Skate Shreds Wii and DS [IGN]

Another Burnout wouldn't come as a shock to just about anyone, but it would appear that EA is not going to give up trying to unseat the current Madden of skateboarding, Tony Hawk. He told investors "these are the fights that EA knows how to win," which I'm sure has Activision execs losing control of their bowels in fear. You're welcome for the imagery.

New Burnout, Skate on the way [GameSpot]

We didn't want to go back and ask [people] for more money to get more shoes and shirts...That's not how we wanted to enter this market.

EA has no plans for SKATE Downloadable Content [xboxdomain]

This week has a nice choice of titles spread out over various systems (sans the PSP). I'm trying to get to Heavenly Sword tonight so I can see for myself what it's going to be like and I am anxious to check out Jam Sessions and Drawn to Life for the DS. I've avoided Oblivion for a while just because I'm afraid of getting sucked in, but the inclusion of all the expansions on one disc is intriguing. What to do, what to do?

Heavenly Sword (PS3)
Will Nariko and her moves rival Kratos?

Skate (X360)
Skate to your heart's content and see what life is like without Tony Hawk.

NHL 2K8 (PS3, X360, PS2)
All the fun of Hockey without the broken teeth.

NHL 08 (X360, PS3, PC, PS2)
Because we always need more hockey games.

Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power (PC)
Rule the planets in this sci-fi RTS.

.hack//G.U. vol. 3//Redemption (PS2)
The final game in the trilogy. The end of an era...

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition (X360, PC)
All of Oblivion including the two expansions in one tidy package.

Kengo: Legend of the 9 (X360)
You are a legendary samurai in feudal Japan doing the stuff a samurai does.

DiRT (PS3)
More racing action for your PS3.

Jam Sessions (DS)
Strum your blues away.

Drawn to Life (DS)
Draw your own character and put him through his paces.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (WII, PS2)
Still guilty after all these years.

Fatal Inertia (X360)
Race in supersonic planes and kick some ass.

Ship Simulator 2008 (PC)
Imagine the fun of piloting your own oil rig!

If you were planning on staying home sick on the 12th to name your first gap or if (like us) you bought a bunch of guacamole that expires on the 12th for your Skate party we send our sincerest apologies!

I think at this point we are starting to get pretty used to delays and as I and many others have said in the past (including the exalted Shigeru Miyamoto), I would rather wait a couple of extra days or even months for a fully functioning, awesome game than to get a rush job that will eventually have to be patched or in the worst case, replaced. Remember Bubble Bobble Revolution?

Official X360 ship date news update [EA Forums]

The thing is: the skate.reel video upload functionality is much more technically complex than a standard offline demo. So after submitting it to MS, we got blindsided by a technical (server related) issue we needed to address. Unfortunately it wasn't really something that could have been avoided - just an unfortunate side-effect of doing something totally new in a demo environment.

Demo Timing Announcement [Skate Forums via Destructoid]
image courtesy of Gotcha

EA'S AWARD-WINNING SKATE VIDEO GAME ROLLS ONTO RETAIL SHELVES IN SEPTEMBER Download the Demo on Xbox Live Marketplace on August 15 to Experience True Skateboarding Action Before It Hits Stores

CHERTSEY, UK. - August 3, 2007 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that its award-winning SKATE video game will ship to retail stores on September 12 in the U.S. and September 14 in Europe for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. The PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system version will ship to stores on September 24 in the U.S. and October 5 in Europe. For players eager to get their hands on the game pre-launch, EA will release a SKATE demo on Xbox Live Marketplace on August 15 so players can experience first-hand the title's groundbreaking new gameplay style - a new way of playing skateboarding games that will invigorate the genre.

The downloadable demo features tutorials and gameplay challenges in San Vanelona's community center skatepark to introduce gamers to SKATE's revolutionary Flickit controls. The demo also includes the innovative skate.reel feature where gamers can capture video footage of their skate session at any time during the demo and share the footage online at www.skate.ea.com for other players to view, rate and comment on.

In the game, everything you do works towards getting you coverage in two of skateboarding's premiere magazines - Thrasher and The Skateboard Mag. Coverage also means sponsors, product, money and fame. Become a legend by getting the covers and you'll earn a coveted invitation to skate in the X Games - the world's top skateboarding competition. You'll be able to throw down on the street course and go huge in the Skateboard Big Air event, innovated and dominated by two time gold medalist Danny Way.

SKATE recently received the "Best Sports Game of E3 - IGN Xbox 360" award at the E3 tradeshow in Santa Monica. SKATE was also one of only four games nominated for Best Sports game for the "Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007". The judges for this award included editors from the 36 leading videogame publications in the industry.

With innovative Flickit controls that take advantage of the dual analog sticks and the ability to sculpt tricks that define your own style, SKATE delivers an authentic boarding mecca like no other videogame. SKATE is developed by EA Black Box in Vancouver, British Columbia and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB and 12+ by PEGI.

My hands-on time with EA Black Box's skate. pretty much ensured I'll be picking it up at release. Watch this new clip and let me know if you're not convinced. I'll berate you in the comments. Michael McWhertor