Tony Hawk: Ride Board Is Not a Peripheral, "More of a Platform"

Keane Ng

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Tony Hawk: Ride Board Is Not a Peripheral, "More of a Platform"



Tony Hawk: Ride developer Robomodo is attempting to assuage skepticism about the hefty price of its game's skateboard peripheral by arguing that it's not just a peripheral, but a platform in itself with "many games" coming down the line.

Tony Hawk: Ride will be a bigger than average investment for skateboard-loving gamers when it ships later this year, allegedly with a hefty $120 price-tag [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91950] thanks to its skateboard peripheral. That's quite a chunk of change - will it really be worth the cash and sacrificing even more of your living room space, which is no doubt already full of fake guitars and drum sets?

"It's really important to us that when people buy this package that they understand that, right now we're concentrating on Tony Hawk: Ride, but we want to make sure that people have a good return on their investment so there are many games that are planned for this peripheral," Joshua Tsui of Ride developer Robomodo told VideoGamer [http://www.videogamer.com/news/many_games_planned_for_tony_hawk_board_peripheral.html].

Of course, those "many games" are sure to include Tony Hawk: Ride 2 to 14, but Tsui thinks that there's potential for plenty more, so much potential, in fact, that he's willing to call the skateboard peripheral more than just that. "We look at it less as a peripheral, as more of a platform," Tsui explained. "The obvious ones are snowboarding and surfing and such, but there are a lot of games that can be used with this board, and we're really excited to start working on those."

What other uses could a fake skateboard with motion sensing have? Well, let's see, my first idea is a Back to the Future 2 game with a hoverboard racing [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsgIzU51Mr0] minigame, but maybe some sort of game where you play as a dinosaur that rides a surfboard, and works for the coast guard, and tries to stop illegal drug shipments that are coming in by sea. The dinosaur will have a laser, and his name will be Surfersaurus. Yes.




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Kross

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I concur that the skateboard shaped peripheral can definitely be considered a platform.
 

ChromeAlchemist

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Kross said:
I concur that the skateboard shaped peripheral can definitely be considered a platform.
Ohoho I see what you did there.

...I think.

Keane Ng said:
What other uses could a fake skateboard with motion sensing have? Well, let's see, my first idea is a Back to the Future 2 game with a hoverboard racing [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsgIzU51Mr0] minigame, but maybe some sort of game where you play as a dinosaur that rides a surfboard, and works for the coast guard, and tries to stop illegal drug shipments that are coming in by sea. The dinosaur will have a laser, and his name will be Surfersaurus. Yes.
Now see, you give me that, and we're friends for life.

But otherwise, no I would have to see these games before I shell out on a 'platform' that only has one confirmed game. I am planning to get a Wii balance board, because there are three or four games (possibly five) I want to buy for it, and it costs less than the fakeboard (not doubting it of course, if it's good and has more games for it, then maybe I might consider, but it's doubtful).

Also it's a bit pretentious to claim such a thing. My plastic guitar potentially works on around five games (potentially seven) yet it's not considered a seperate platform. Same with the balance board.
 

hagaya

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Of course it's a platform; it elevates the player an inch off the ground below.
 

Krakyn

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Keane Ng said:
but maybe some sort of game where you play as a dinosaur that rides a surfboard, and works for the coast guard, and tries to stop illegal drug shipments that are coming in by sea. The dinosaur will have a laser, and his name will be Surfersaurus. Yes.
I already wrote a design document for surfing dinosaurs with lasers. Now how do I sue you? Damn this legal system!
 

Jumplion

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Mar 10, 2008
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God, what's up with everything being a "platform" nowadays? Didn't a few weeks/months ago a Gears of War 2 guy said "It's more of a platform"?
 

Xvito

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Jumplion said:
God, what's up with everything being a "platform" nowadays? Didn't a few weeks/months ago a Gears of War 2 guy said "It's more of a platform"?
Gears of War 2... A platform!?

Is nothing sacred anymore?

--Xvito, keeping it excellent.
 

Jamash

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Jun 25, 2008
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xmetatr0nx said:
Thats way more than the cost of a real complete skateboard...there is something wrong about that.
But in all fairness, it probably contains a lot more complicated and expensive electronics than a piece of wood with some wheels bolted to it.

Even though I can see the attraction of it, it doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

The only reason I play skate-boarding games is because I don't have the balance and agility to do it in real life, skate-boarding via a controller suits me just fine. I'd be just as crap at playing a game on that 'platform' as I would be skate-boarding in real life, it wouldn't be fun any more.

Also, I doubt it could take my weight without breaking.
 

Gamer137

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It is unable to play games by itself and relies on a system which it connects too. It's a peripheral dumbass.
 

Ophiuchus

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Mar 31, 2008
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I don't care whether it's a game, a platform or a chocolate dispenser - what was wrong with using a control pad?

I guess there were bound to be differences in the gameplay as a result of having a new developer, but this? Really? I know they're losing ground to the Skate series, but this isn't the way to pull it back. I'm sure a section of their audience are real-life skaters and I'm sure it'll appeal to them, and I'm happy for them. However... I'm sure I can't be alone in saying that part of what made the Tony Hawk series appealing was that it sacrificed realism for entertainment value, and in that respect I can't help feeling that this is a bad move.

...also, the gap between my bed and my desk is less than 3ft so I'll never have room to play this.
 

_Nocturnal

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Why limit themselves to a simple "platform"?
They should think of it as a lifestyle! A religion! An anchievement that everybody should strive to!
It could become people's new best friend! There could be gatherings all around the world of men and women with fantastical stories of their adventures with a plastic skateboard to share!
I can already see it:
Ride: The Wave of the Future!
Now, if they just hope strong enough, I'm sure everyone will start thinking the same way.