I was absolutely pumped to see this announcement until I saw the video. One thing that I have always loved about skate was the sheer fact that (other than the 360 hardflip) you couldn't do tricks like darkslides. All my friends clamored for it but I kept telling them it was BS and they won't throw it in. Why? Cause there are like(to the best of my knowledge) 2 skaters in the world that can darkslide almost on cue and 1 that can kickflip underflip. If it wasn't a common trick amongst the skating community then it will not be in the game.
To me all this really means is that within the first day of release there are going to be hundreds of videos of kickflip underslip darkslides posted online with the hopes of one user getting that ever so coveted spot of number one due to the fact that it will be one of the first video's posted and most likely most voted upon.
I'll be more excited about this game if they can tighten up the controls. I really enjoyed the first one but passed on the second one when I heard that the controls were as frustratingly imprecise as they were before.
I just hope that what happened to THPS won't happen to Skate. THPS3 was the last before the franchise started going downhill (no pun intended), and I'd hate to see Skate die the same way.
Unfortunately, we're already looking at sequel saturation.
Like KillerBee said below me, it's too soon. Skating games have long lives. We're not exactly starved for replay value here.
I loved skate., but I didn't really play Skate 2 to know whether the series is going in a positive direction. I'm definitely looking forward to trying a demo, whenever it comes out sometime next year.
EA, let's talk. Skate is great. It is the defacto skateboarding franchise now that Tony Hawk is making plastic thingies.
This is the part you don't want to hear, but you need to. STOP making Skate games every year. The differences between Skate 1 and 2 were minimal and adding skater crew warfare is fucking stupid. This isn't madden. We don't need "roster" updates. We don't need the only real skateboarding franchise watered down and unfun because you think you need to pump new Skate games out every year. Please, stop.
Skate 2 was already pushing it with the "too soon" feeling, but damn, EA, slow your roll here.
@KillerBee: Agreed, it feels too soon.
My problem is more about the fact that Skate 2 didn't fix the most important things to me though. So how can Skate 3 do it after such a short time? AND bring something new? At least, there seem to be a brand new city to skate, but please no more skatepark elements on the sidewalks...
@mescaline.: Too soon? If Skate 2 came out last year, then wouldn't next year be 2 years since the last game? I don't think they need to create a new engine for it. Just fix the issues that everyone has had with the game and add in some cool new elements.
Video games have been going down this slippery slope of ridiculous peripherals for a while now. Hopefully this will be the one that "jumps the shark" and kills this trend. I'm just so sick of having to do things in video games. I just want to press buttons again. Like the good old days.
@dowingba: Even though I agree the peripheral-mania needs to slow way down, hoping this particular one will fail is narrowminded and mean. There are plenty of classic games coming out for you buttonpushers. This is a game+peripheral many have wanted for a long time. (Ever since they played those skateboard games in the arcade.) For those of you that don't want to play it, just stand back and don't buy it.
Never played a Tony Hawk game but this one has my interest. I think they are making a mistake with not includiing the two-board multiplayer mode. I only dream of a two-player multiplayer Silver Surfer game (I get tears of joy just thinking about it).
Maybe it's just me, but I have something against videogames that require you to stand up or involve lots of movement in order to play them. While I'll make an exception for WiiFit, which is a device purposefully made to get people in shape, I can't say I'm a fan of legit games (Shaun White Snowboarding, etc.) that make use of it, or something like Tony Hawk Ride with it's own peripheral that requires you to stand up.
I play videogames to relax. I like to turn the tv on, sink into the couch and game with a controller in my hand. After spending most of the day on my feet either at school or a part time job, combined with working out well over an hour a day either at the gym or at soccer practice, why in God's name would I want to "play" something that requires me to stand up or flail my arms around?
I don't mind the peripheral trend too much. Guitars, mics, drums, and even things like fishing reels and other gadgets all serve some sort of purpose for the game they're bundled with. I just can't condone gaming turning into a physical activity when it's something I personally play to relax and have fun; Not something to make me more active.
Again, if that's the purpose of the device (WiiFit, EA Active), more power to it. I'm in good health as it is and I can avoid buying a product used to get people in shape, but the growing trend of making videogames a physical activity just depresses me. I don't want to jump around my room or shuffle around on a board to "play" or "simulate" an experience.
I know people are generally living more sedentary lifestyles and that gamers specifically are stereotyped as unfit, inactive individuals, but are there really enough people wanting games to go in this direction to support it? Do people really want to wave their arms around to swing swords, to shuffle around on a board to navigate, and to scream into a mic for voice commands?
No thank you, I say. I just hope I'm not in the minority, as I'm currently majoring in Computer Animations with hopes of working in the game industry myself.
@Kanji08: You could also make your argument against intense games.
"I play games to relax. Why do I have to get stressed out playing Modern Warfare"?
Thing is, lots of people get relaxed by getting involved in a tense multiplayer match. There are just as many people who get relaxed by getting up and doing a little exercise. In fact, a lot of people work out precisely to relieve stress. It's very easy to see where the appeal of this would come from.
@RockyRan: This isn't working out though. It simply requires physical movement for the sake of it. I don't like any game where I have to stop playing it because of physical limitations.
When I put the controller down, it's for no other reason than my own desire to not play the game further. With something like this, you just get fed up and go, "Ugh, my *insert body part here* is hurting. Lets do something else."
That does not a fun game make. As for your other point, stress levels can be controlled. I was Guild Leader of a Top 20 U.S. Guild in WoW, and now play with the 4th best Guild in the world. I also played SOCOM 2 quite competitively back in the day too.
I know all too well about taking a game more seriously than you should, but it's only stressful if you let it get to you. If you don't let yourself get stressed, then you won't be. You can't mentally restrict physical actions though (as a general statement. I don't need to be given extreme one-in-a-million examples that prove it wrong).
@Kanji08: You make it sound like developers add motion into the game "just for the sake of movement". The idea is that motion control adds a larger range of input and greater precision than a typical gamepad. Granted, not every game actually achieves this, but what do you expect - the technology is still relatively new.
I appreciate that some developers are actually trying to expand the way games are played, instead of sticking to the same old formulas with a new paint job.
I can understand taking preference over non-active means of input, but motion controls are a valid choice for game developers, and I think it would be a great shame if we started to see devs shying away from experimentation in favour of "traditional methods".
If you've ever played a game for a lengthy amount of time on the Wii fit balance board, your legs start to get tired after a short about of time just standing in one spot keeping balance. Since it's not recommended to play with your shoes on, you stand there in socks or bare footed on hard plastic.
After about 45 minutes of playing on that board, I'm tired of whatever I'm playing and ready to sit down.
But, if I'm kicked back in my recliner relaxing, I can play for hours or until the game itself gets old.
I'm not completely bashing the idea as being something new. But I don't seeing it being very fun if you are going to have to wear yourself out just to play for a bit.
You know what sucks about these games? They're impossible to rent. No way in hell any video store is going to rent out this board so basically there's no way to play this game unless you fork out the money for it. I'll pass.
@Matt0505: I don't rent, but I never thought about it like that. I'm sure plenty of people rent games before they buy them, and not being able to rent this or any other peripheral type game could mean lost sales.
@Matt0505: You will probably get a chance to try it in a game shop, as peripheral based games like this are perfect fodder for creating a bit of interest when placed in a store. However when gaming in public there is always that risk of embarassing yourself.
@Matt0505: I didn't think about that, great point. I have a Gamefly account I keep active for the slow months like we're in now, and I seriously doubt they're willing to mail people the board.
simplyPARTICLE is right about it being in Gamestops across the world, but I rarely get a good feel for a game in a setting like that, the comfort of my own home is where it's at.
@simplyPARTICLE:
unlikely due to safety. For example ( I work in GAME in the UK) we can't have a wii set up with say, wii sports because of potential danger of someone hitting someone or hurting themselves etc... however if people are manning the machine at all times then we were allowed to put mario kart on a wii and let people play that.
No way in hell would a store take a risk on something like a skateboard, not only are stores short on staff these days but if someone were to fall off the board in the store and hurt themselves we would be in the shit.
Ususally game reps will come round and demo these types of games in store and allow people to play them, they do it around christmas for games like guitar hero and various wii games
@bakagaijin: Woo, I haven't used this new commenting system yet. This is exciting...
Anyways, I don't think that it will really hurt them in the sales department. There was some old statistic that popped up (I think here on Kotaku) that said some very small percentage of people actually buy games after renting them. So they're not missing out on much, but I can see how that would turn some people off.
@Uzumaki_Kiba: Yeah, it could be a small percentage. Still, Matt does bring up a good point.
As for the commenting system, it will take some getting used to, but it is for the better, believe me. All of the negative, trollish, fanboy nonsense gets left in grey, forever ignored. It's nice to be able to weed out the garbage, and promote the good comments. I'd recommend checking out the new commenting info when you get the chance.
I don't understand how they they created this board to be a more realistic experience without properly thinking of a way to do tricks. Like some wii games it almost seems like motion controls added for the sake of it. The way tricks are done seem counter-intuitive as they don't seem to mimic the real world counterparts that well and in these cases what is wrong with old button interfaces. Motion controls are great for games like tennis and golf on the wii where actions can be easily recreated, and in a sense i understand that the board would indeed be good for movement but rather than making the game easier to pick up having to learn to perform the tricks will probably be much harder than basic button presses or even Skate's analogue stick controls.
09/15/09
Here's what the heads can do with Skate 2
http://www.wegame.com/watch/Sweaty_Shirtless_Fish/
09/15/09
Heyyy, that's my boy Jack Barclay from Doppelgänger Produktion. Sweet.
09/15/09
To me all this really means is that within the first day of release there are going to be hundreds of videos of kickflip underslip darkslides posted online with the hopes of one user getting that ever so coveted spot of number one due to the fact that it will be one of the first video's posted and most likely most voted upon.
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
Unfortunately, we're already looking at sequel saturation.
Like KillerBee said below me, it's too soon. Skating games have long lives. We're not exactly starved for replay value here.
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
This is the part you don't want to hear, but you need to. STOP making Skate games every year. The differences between Skate 1 and 2 were minimal and adding skater crew warfare is fucking stupid. This isn't madden. We don't need "roster" updates. We don't need the only real skateboarding franchise watered down and unfun because you think you need to pump new Skate games out every year. Please, stop.
Skate 2 was already pushing it with the "too soon" feeling, but damn, EA, slow your roll here.
09/15/09
My problem is more about the fact that Skate 2 didn't fix the most important things to me though. So how can Skate 3 do it after such a short time? AND bring something new? At least, there seem to be a brand new city to skate, but please no more skatepark elements on the sidewalks...
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
07/16/09
07/16/09
Absolutely. At a certain point, you might as well be actually performing the act that you're spending so much time learning to simulate.
07/17/09
07/16/09
07/16/09
I play videogames to relax. I like to turn the tv on, sink into the couch and game with a controller in my hand. After spending most of the day on my feet either at school or a part time job, combined with working out well over an hour a day either at the gym or at soccer practice, why in God's name would I want to "play" something that requires me to stand up or flail my arms around?
I don't mind the peripheral trend too much. Guitars, mics, drums, and even things like fishing reels and other gadgets all serve some sort of purpose for the game they're bundled with. I just can't condone gaming turning into a physical activity when it's something I personally play to relax and have fun; Not something to make me more active.
Again, if that's the purpose of the device (WiiFit, EA Active), more power to it. I'm in good health as it is and I can avoid buying a product used to get people in shape, but the growing trend of making videogames a physical activity just depresses me. I don't want to jump around my room or shuffle around on a board to "play" or "simulate" an experience.
I know people are generally living more sedentary lifestyles and that gamers specifically are stereotyped as unfit, inactive individuals, but are there really enough people wanting games to go in this direction to support it? Do people really want to wave their arms around to swing swords, to shuffle around on a board to navigate, and to scream into a mic for voice commands?
No thank you, I say. I just hope I'm not in the minority, as I'm currently majoring in Computer Animations with hopes of working in the game industry myself.
07/16/09
"I play games to relax. Why do I have to get stressed out playing Modern Warfare"?
Thing is, lots of people get relaxed by getting involved in a tense multiplayer match. There are just as many people who get relaxed by getting up and doing a little exercise. In fact, a lot of people work out precisely to relieve stress. It's very easy to see where the appeal of this would come from.
07/16/09
When I put the controller down, it's for no other reason than my own desire to not play the game further. With something like this, you just get fed up and go, "Ugh, my *insert body part here* is hurting. Lets do something else."
That does not a fun game make. As for your other point, stress levels can be controlled. I was Guild Leader of a Top 20 U.S. Guild in WoW, and now play with the 4th best Guild in the world. I also played SOCOM 2 quite competitively back in the day too.
I know all too well about taking a game more seriously than you should, but it's only stressful if you let it get to you. If you don't let yourself get stressed, then you won't be. You can't mentally restrict physical actions though (as a general statement. I don't need to be given extreme one-in-a-million examples that prove it wrong).
07/17/09
I appreciate that some developers are actually trying to expand the way games are played, instead of sticking to the same old formulas with a new paint job.
I can understand taking preference over non-active means of input, but motion controls are a valid choice for game developers, and I think it would be a great shame if we started to see devs shying away from experimentation in favour of "traditional methods".
07/16/09
Something to consider:
If you've ever played a game for a lengthy amount of time on the Wii fit balance board, your legs start to get tired after a short about of time just standing in one spot keeping balance. Since it's not recommended to play with your shoes on, you stand there in socks or bare footed on hard plastic.
After about 45 minutes of playing on that board, I'm tired of whatever I'm playing and ready to sit down.
But, if I'm kicked back in my recliner relaxing, I can play for hours or until the game itself gets old.
I'm not completely bashing the idea as being something new. But I don't seeing it being very fun if you are going to have to wear yourself out just to play for a bit.
07/16/09
07/16/09
07/16/09
07/16/09
simplyPARTICLE is right about it being in Gamestops across the world, but I rarely get a good feel for a game in a setting like that, the comfort of my own home is where it's at.
07/16/09
unlikely due to safety. For example ( I work in GAME in the UK) we can't have a wii set up with say, wii sports because of potential danger of someone hitting someone or hurting themselves etc... however if people are manning the machine at all times then we were allowed to put mario kart on a wii and let people play that.
No way in hell would a store take a risk on something like a skateboard, not only are stores short on staff these days but if someone were to fall off the board in the store and hurt themselves we would be in the shit.
Ususally game reps will come round and demo these types of games in store and allow people to play them, they do it around christmas for games like guitar hero and various wii games
07/16/09
Anyways, I don't think that it will really hurt them in the sales department. There was some old statistic that popped up (I think here on Kotaku) that said some very small percentage of people actually buy games after renting them. So they're not missing out on much, but I can see how that would turn some people off.
07/16/09
As for the commenting system, it will take some getting used to, but it is for the better, believe me. All of the negative, trollish, fanboy nonsense gets left in grey, forever ignored. It's nice to be able to weed out the garbage, and promote the good comments. I'd recommend checking out the new commenting info when you get the chance.
07/16/09
07/16/09