Tony Hawk still bigging up Ride board

By Robert Purchese Published 15 December, 2009

Says it's a "flagship" for other experiences.

Tony Hawk's pointed out that the "master plan" is and always has been to use Ride's board peripheral for multiple game experiences - not just skateboarding.

"I feel like the device is a flagship for other games. I think we can do another skate game, I think we can do other board-type games, surfing, snowboarding. That really was the master plan," he told Kotaku.

"I didn't think it was some gimmick that people were going to have to buy again next year."

Hawk lashed out at critics on Twitter following a wave of bad scores for Tony Hawk: Ride. He felt that reviewers had their minds made up before even playing the game. [Not true. Some of us took at least six minutes to realise it was rubbish - Dep Ed]

Shrugging those criticisms off, Hawk, speaking at the Spike Video Game Awards 2009, said the board was developed to encourage people to try skating in real-life.

"I think it could maybe be a bridge for people who were intimidated to try skating in the first place. They could get on this and realise maybe they do have a sense of balance they didn't know and that that will inspire them to try the real thing. I could only hope," he said.

Head over to Eurogamer's review of Tony Hawk: Ride for a full and detailed analysis.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • LiveForever #1 2 years ago

    He simply dosent know when to shut up.

  • Whizzo #2 2 years ago

    Perhaps Activision could make an Extreme Ironing game using it?

    It'd probably be more fun than Ride.

  • apolloscollapse #3 2 years ago

    Times must be hard for Mr Hawk

  • linea #4 2 years ago

    He spelled 'bored' wrong....

  • hyperkineticninja #5 2 years ago

    He "spelt" "bored" wrong, if you are going to correct peoples grammer/spelling....

  • Kill_Crazy #6 2 years ago

    For some reason, even though they're quite different, i always picture Tim Westwood when i read Tony Hawk whinging. Keep expecting him to say 'it's big' or some such twattish nonsense.

  • Beano #7 2 years ago

    Tony needs to take a step back...

  • bad09 #8 2 years ago

    Heh, I had to laugh as I saw the Ride ad last night would make Ant & Dec proud with it's cheese!. LOTS of images of Mr Hawks impressing his inoffensive multi-cultural mix of clean, hip, happy "friends" with his moves...and very little actual game :)

  • jonnypile #9 2 years ago

    He "spelt" "bored" wrong, if you are going to correct peoples grammer/spelling....

    It's "people's", if you're going to correct grammar too. There's no "e" in grammar either.
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/09 @ 09:38

  • telboy007 #10 2 years ago

    jonnypile wins. :)

    Extreme Ironing would would be the "teh" awesome.

  • Mkwone #11 2 years ago

    I read that as 'Ok, our game was a bit pants but hopefully someone will make a good game for the board'

  • menage #12 2 years ago

    Really, you're shit isn't going to be the new Wii, so just cut your losses.

  • paulf #13 2 years ago

    I don't need to go to english class today ...

  • el_pollo_diablo #14 2 years ago

    Flagship? Titanic more like.

  • matrim83 #15 2 years ago

    This is getting ridiculous. I have nothing against the man but he needs to shut the fuck up. Its a piece of shit board used in a piece of shit game. Move on!

  • wizlon #16 2 years ago

    Look, Hawk, we know you are working on a commission here, just please leave it!

  • el_pollo_diablo #17 2 years ago

    It's "people's", if you're going to correct grammar too. There's no "e" in grammar either.
    Edited 1 times, most recently on 15/12/09 @ 09:38

    It should be 'edited once' if you're really willing to scrape the bottom of the barrel. As I am.

  • Concrete #18 2 years ago

    To be honest, I think you could make a pretty cool snowboarding game on the peripheral.

  • linea #19 2 years ago

    @hyperkineticninja Oh, the irony!


    And fyi 'spelled' is perfectly correct (if the less common usage in UK English).

  • Stoatboy #20 2 years ago

    He "spelt" "bored" wrong, if you are going to correct peoples grammer/spelling....

    "Spelled" is perfectly good English. If you are going to correct people's grammar/spelling make sure there's something to correct.
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/09 @ 10:17

  • linea #21 2 years ago

    And also I wasn't actually correcting anyone's spelling, I was just.....


    Oh, what's the point. Kids these days etc etc

  • deepspacefox #22 2 years ago

    'Look mum, I can balance well on a board with no wheels on a carpet. This has inspired me to try the real thing. Oh no I've broken my nose'

  • hyperkineticninja #23 2 years ago

    Touché all, well played, I am well and truly embarrassed hehe :p

    I just love RIDE so much don't like people being mean to it or Tony Hawk :(

    And spelled is like how a 5 year old would speak ;)

  • hyperkineticninja #24 2 years ago

    @jonnypile "Edited 1 times" eh? What mistake did you make while owning me eh? Tell the truth hehe

  • Spooke #25 2 years ago

    This all reminds me of the disastrous Surf Champ for the ZX Spectrum where you slotted a plastic board onto the keyboard. Yes I am old.

  • robg #26 2 years ago

    Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

  • Eldritch #27 2 years ago

    Tony Hawk cleans my loo.

  • Optimaximal #28 2 years ago

    'Shrugging those criticisms off, Hawk, speaking at the Spike Video Game Awards 2009, said the board was developed to encourage people to try skating in real-life.'

    The RIDE board was developed as much to encourage skateboarding as the Guitar Hero plastic toys were to encourage people to learn to play guitar.

    It's just a money-spinning mess to please shareholders and make Kotick more and more rich - nothing more.

    @el_pollo_diablo 'Flagship? Titanic more like.'

    Same thing isn't it? http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagship_St...
    Edited by 2 at 15/12/09 @ 10:53

  • jonnypile #29 2 years ago

    @hyperkineticninja I noticed the way you spelt grammar. Just wanted to be thorough :)

  • mr_goop #30 2 years ago

    No, Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

  • hyperkineticninja #31 2 years ago

    I think after this humiliation I am going to slink back to the Nexus never to return.

    Besos to all!

  • Doctor_What #32 2 years ago

    There's an increasing trend towards the removal of archaic spellings in English. For example, both 'leaped' and 'leapt' are now acceptable, but it's expected by academics that the latter will fall out of use almost completely in the next twenty years. The language changes, and spelled/spelt is another example of this happening.

    Personally, I blame the Americans :D

  • Beano #33 2 years ago

    I blame CO2
    Edited by 2 at 15/12/09 @ 11:10

  • kangarootoo #34 2 years ago

    "Shrugging those criticisms off, Hawk, speaking at the Spike Video Game Awards 2009, said the board was developed to encourage people to try skating in real-life"

    I'm pretty sure the SKATE games did that quite well already.

    And good balance of a level required to skateboard well isn't something you "discover" in your living room. It is something you develop through practice. And that practice can take place on a real skate board for less than this game costs, and the time spent will directly contribute to the skill of riding a skate board.

    Now I'm not saying people should "get a real skateboard instead" any more than I would suggest GH players should learn to play a real guitar. I'm just saying that is Mister Hawks is going to make such comparisons, he should perhaps be sure they make sense.

  • M_of_the_sys #35 2 years ago

    @Kangarootoo

    I'm pretty sure the SKATE games did that quite well already.

    I believe the original TH games encouraged people to try skating in real life. While SKATE may have also done the same, it came out at a time when Skateboarding had already come back into fashion.

    And good balance of a level required to skateboard well isn't something you "discover" in your living room. It is something you develop through practice. And that practice can take place on a real skate board for less than this game costs, and the time spent will directly contribute to the skill of riding a skate board.

    The difference being that most people give up when trying on a real skateboard after realising it really isn't easy to just pick up and do. You're more likely to injure yourself on a real skateboard and you definitely WILL look and feel stupid if you're just beginning. I'm not sure he's suggesting this but I would imagine people would be more comfortable looking stupid in the privacy of their front room/bedroom and then, once getting the hang of it, thinking "This isn't so hard" before going out and trying the real thing (and still end up looking and feeling stupid).

    edit: I'm in no way disagreeing with what you're saying
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/09 @ 12:14

  • glaeken #36 2 years ago

    @EarlBassett That was exactly what I was thinking. I am sure you could get a real skate board for much less than the price of this game and it seems to me if you have any interest in trying skate boarding that is the way to go.

  • gnrlstuart #37 2 years ago

    TONY, THE BOARD DOESN'T WORK MATE!!

    the game dosent work, we all know it dosent work, and even if it did the game's rubbish anyway. maybe he has some uber slick version without the piss poor presentation and flawed board mechanics.

  • kongzi #38 2 years ago

    So, he actually admits the thing handles like an oiltanker here? Way to go, tone.

  • sfp_noodle #39 2 years ago

    all tony has to do is convince acti to release an HD remake of pro skater 2 and he will once again be the most loved man ever. id buy tht even if it was a full priced release, it wud give me more joy than MW2 thts for sure! :D

  • Praetorianer #40 2 years ago

    It's so sad to see him like that...just recently I read "Hawk: Occupation: Skateborder" again and I think he should read his own autobiography again. Maybe it would make him change his mind and stop him from being such a voracious sellout whore.