Wednesday 10: Could the Ride Board Rock?Don't judge a Tony Hawk game by its plastic peripheral.
May 20, 2009 - The reveal of the skateboard accessory for the new Tony Hawk: Ride game was met with both admiration and derision around the Internet. Another plastic peripheral to stack in the corner next to all those Wii Fit Balance Boards, Guitar Hero axes, Rock Band drums, and Taiko Drum Master drums? Who has the space for all of these things? Well, if Tony Hawk: Ride turns out to be a successful, inventive reboot of the graying skateboarding franchise, we're all for putting some of those music game accessories on eBay to clear up a little extra room.
Activision has been coy about releasing too many details of how the board will work; surely it is waiting for E3 next month to share the goods and allow us to go hands-on (or feet-on, if you prefer) with the new controller. And only a lucky few (these writers excluded) have even seen it in person. Until then, we've compiled a list of reasons why we think the Tony Hawk: Ride board is something you should have on your radar, even if you think the series has been stretched to the point its teats give out powdered milk.
Natural EvolutionWhere else is there to go with controlling a game via two analog sticks and some buttons? No matter how well the skate parks or cities are designed, you're still doing the same things with the same thumb motions. The Ride board gives not only the franchise, but the entire genre the shot in the arm it desperately needs. Even if the board doesn't work exactly as we all might hope, at least Activision did something outside of just shipping another Hawk game is the mold of the previous 23 versions.
(That said, the game should include a control option for folks that cannot use their legs.)
Living Room Skating Isn't Stupid AnymoreIf you enjoy goofing around with plastic stuff in your living room, thank Nintendo and Neversoft. Guitar Hero and the Wii have made it OK for gamers to hook silly peripherals up to their televisions and act like they're doing things. But that alone isn't enough to make Ride a good idea. Equally important is the fact that televisions are significantly larger and allow a more realistic image than ever before. Standing in front of a 27-inch Zenith with a 4:3 cathode ray tube display on a plastic skateboard would have been stupid. But give us a 42" plasma with HDMI and Dolby surround, and an awesome game will suck us right in and immerse us in the experience. Is Tony Hawk: Ride that game? Ask us after E3.
Recreate Skate Videos Without Killing YourselfAny non-skater who's seen homemade skateboarding videos has thought at some point, "Man I wish I could do that." Well you can't, so please don't try. You can't click on IGN with 17 broken fingers. But let's face it – playing a skateboarding game with a controller isn't the next-best thing, feeling like you are actually skateboarding is. If it's done right (and again, we have no idea if it has been), the Ride peripheral could actually make you feel like Tony Hawk or another pro skater, which is something no skateboarding game has accomplished to date. And if you want to create explosions in your game room a la Fully Flared, be our guest. We have good lawyers.
Reclaimed RelevancyTony Hawk's relevancy (the game, not the person) has been under attack since EA launched the Skate franchise and delivered games that just felt fresher. The Skate games were strong sellers, digging deep into Tony territory. Tossing out the old formula and going bold is the only way Activision can claw back lost ground. If it works, hopefully hardcore gamers will embrace the change, even if the plastic board does look a little Wii-ish. And besides, wouldn't it be cool to reclaim the same feeling you got when you first played the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater?
Looks Cooler Than Other Game PeripheralsName a videogame peripheral that looks cooler than the Tony Hawk Ride board. Go ahead, name it. WRONG! Thanks for playing though. Look, we don't know much about the game itself yet, but part of us doesn't even care. The Ride deck is just plain sexy. Geddes wants to lie down with it and whisper shocking things to it in an Italian accent. This thing makes the Wii Fit Balance Board look like it's made out of Duplo blocks. Aside from the Guitar Hero: World Tour guitar, the Ride is the only game peripheral we'd be comfortable leaving propped up next to the entertainment center. Go Activision.
Critical Audience ExpansionThe success of the Wii and Guitar Hero proves that immersion-oriented gaming works to get more people interested in the hobby. The Ride board could be just as critical for expanding the audience, as it will foster interest outside the hardcore. Who wouldn't want to get on top of that board and try a few tricks? That's the proven theory that catapulted the Wii to first place. Don't complain. That expansion brings more dollars into the industry, which guarantees more games for you and me.
At Least it's Not a NashBack in the day, the cool kids rode Powell Peralta decks, and the rest of us had Nashes. Geddes had a lime green one with totally lame-o plastic siderails that served more as a platform for serious injury than a vehicle for extreme sports virtuosity. The Tony Hawk Ride peripheral may not be your dream gaming accessory, but at least it's better than the real board you had as a kid. No matter how many Dinosaur Jr. stickers and cool grip tape you put on a Nash, it still looked like a giant piece of busted-ass plywood. No matter how Ride plays, at least we'll finally have a cool board.
Check Your Prejudices at the DoorSome have complained that the Ride board is just too Wii-like. Well, duh. That's probably the whole point. But before you dismiss the accessory because it looks like something Nintendo would approve of, think about your own prejudices. Hardcore gamers reject the Wii because of so many sad kiddie games or minigame collections, but do so at the expense of playing great stuff like House of the Dead: Overkill and Punch Out. Open your mind. Motion controls do not always equal "lame." The same could be true here.
The Possibilities are EndlessThe list of gaming peripherals that have squandered their potential is longer than Levi's bucket list. But just because we've been fooled in the past doesn't mean we're not willing to give the Tony Hawk Ride board a fair chance. Just think about how it could be used in other games. Imagine throwing your board down in Grand Theft Auto V and gunning down fools as you ride down the street. SEGA could use the Ride tech for a long-overdue follow-up to Jet Grind Radio. And maybe snowboarding games will actually become fun again. We're not sure how Ride will ride just yet, but if it works well, consider us on board.
Are We VR Gaming Yet?The Ride board inches us that much closer to the coveted "virtual reality" game that this industry has toyed with for years. The Wii Remote was a great step in that direction, but the Ride board -- just like the Rock Band instruments -- really enters the realm of gaming as a true means of escape by literally stepping into a role outside yourself. While there will be no wind through the hair feeling (setting up a fan could help) or true sense of danger, the feeling of accomplishment that accompanies pulling off a huge trick should be bolstered by the use of your whole body instead of a thumb.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/985/985198p1.html
Wednesday 10: Could The Ride Board Rock?, IGN: Wednesday 10
May 21 2009, 01:08 PM
