SKATE is the name for Electronic Arts' brand new skateboard game project and will be released in 2007 for Xbox 360 and PS3. EA made the official announcement in the last few hours that the publisher was readying a rival for the long-running Tony Hawk series.
EA reckons SKATE is a move away from "the typical button-mashing gameplay of past skating games," surely a thinly veiled criticism of the Tony Hawk skateboarding series and their beat-'em-up style button-tapping combos. SKATE will, apparently, offer a unique gaming experience with each play, as "no two tricks will ever be the same," and is set in a "fully reactive skateboarding city."
Exciting times for board fans, since it sounds like the promised intuitive control system featured in SKATE will use the power of next-gen to create believable and flowing skateboarding action (sounds a little like Project 8's Nail the Trick feature, eh?), not just crisper trucks and more detailed decals. With licensed real-life skaters like Danny Way and PJ Ladd adding to SKATE's appeal, we anticipate a hotly fought skate-off for the crown of next-gen extreme sports king when both Tony Hawk's Project 8 and EA's SKATE roll in next year.
September 19, 2006
