Ride dev Robomodo sucked into parallel dimension, increases staff
Tragic news today as we report that, due to the detonation of a hydrogen bomb on a weird island in 1977, Tony Hawk Ride developer Robomodo has shifted sideways into a reality running parallel to our own. We may not have all the details, but we’ve got all the evidence we need here in this Gamasutra article.
As you know, here in our reality, Tony Hawk Ride was a poorly-received, overpriced game and peripheral that moved only 114,000 units during its first month at retail. In this parallel world though, the studio calls the game “high-selling” and is looking to actually increase its staff by as much as 17 percent in the near future for upcoming projects “across all platforms.” The developer added that, at least in its dimension, its debut game is “very compelling.”
You know, maybe it’s not so tragic, after all. As near as we can tell, Robomodo and Ride may be better off in this other reality. Perhaps it’s best if we just let them be.
Ride dev Robomodo sucked into parallel dimension, increases staff originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Luxoflux shuttered as layoffs hit Activision dev studios, publisher confirms
Reports began circulating this morning about major layoffs at a handful of Activision-owned development studios, affecting as much as half of Radical Entertainment’s staff (Prototype), an undisclosed amount of Neversoft employees (Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk), and the entirety of Luxoflux (Tranformers). An Activision rep confirmed two former studio layoffs to us this afternoon, though a representative didn’t city any official numbers — the rep also told us he could “confirm the closure of Luxoflux.”
The full, significantly more vague, company statement given out to everyone reads: “Activision Publishing continually evaluates its resources to ensure that they are properly matched against its product slate and strategic goals. In 2010, the company’s SKU count will be smaller than in 2009 driven in part, by a decrease in the number of music-based games we will be releasing. As we discussed on our earnings conference call yesterday, we are directing our resources against the largest and most profitable business segments, and as part of this initiative, we are realigning our resources to better reflect our slate and the market opportunities. At the same time, we are increasing our digital/online capabilities as we expect that digital/online will continue to become a more meaningful part of our business model in the years ahead.”
Luxoflux shuttered as layoffs hit Activision dev studios, publisher confirms originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Discounted: Brand new Tony Hawk Ride at … Goodwill?
It may seem at this point that we’re kicking an already downed and plenty insulted victim here, but we couldn’t help but note the shockingly low price of a Tony Hawk: Ride bundle — complete with board, unopened — discovered by Gamertell at an Arlington Heights, Il. Goodwill store. Two Wii versions of the game were on sale for just $74.99 (down from $119.99 MSRP) — a Goodwill employee said the game’s presence could be explained by donations from local retailers, listing Kohls, Sears, Borders, and Target as potential donators. Alright, alright, we’ll admit it — the price drop isn’t that steep, but a near $50 difference on a barely four-month-old game sounds pretty decent to us.
Presumably, one of the aforementioned retailers was more interested in the shelf space (and the tax write-off) than waiting for the game’s fairly cool sales to heat up. Either way, if you’re looking to get your … ahem … feet on the game, maybe your local Goodwill could offer a better deal than the other brick-and-mortars, eh?
Discounted: Brand new Tony Hawk Ride at … Goodwill? originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tony Hawk: details on next Robomodo project coming soon
It looks like we’ll get to see the next Tony Hawk joint soon enough. The skateboarding legend recently tweeted that he just concluded a meeting with developer Robomodo. Tony Hawk said the project is already “much better than I expected,” though we think he may be a bit biased on the matter. He added that details would be available “soon.”
As for what it is he liked so much, all signs point to a Tony Hawk Ride sequel — the sequel that Tony himself said was already in the works during a recent interview. And should that be the case, we think Robomodo and Mr. Hawk have a lot to think about, especially if they want to avoid releasing another critical bomb.
[Via MCV]
Tony Hawk: details on next Robomodo project coming soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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VGA 2009: Tony Hawk talks disappointing sales and future plans
This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and - before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside - we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. Here’s what we learned from Tony Hawk about Tony Hawk Ride.
You’ve been very vocal about the negative reviews of the game. What made you want to strike back?
Because I feel like a lot of people … not just bad reviews, but some of them were just mean-spirited. You know what I mean? I felt like that wasn’t fair to us, and it was also turning people away from even trying it. I feel like it’s not for everyone, but try it! I see kids love it. I see parents that take to it and really enjoy it, and I just wanted a fair chance for people to try it objectively. When I see people just coming down on me personally, that got me going and I was frustrated with it.
But at the same time, I’m totally proud of it, I love the game. I spent two years of my life getting it going, and it was my idea … I brought it to Activision. For people to say “Oh, you just stick your name on the game and that’s it,” that’s not what it is at all.
The sales figures came out and they were disappointing. Do you think Activision will keep going in the same direction with this game or will go back to the old Tony Hawk?
I don’t know, I guess that remains to be discussed. I really feel like the board is a good device, and we can make more games based on it. I really want to do that. This wasn’t a gimmick, I didn’t want people to think they have to buy a new one next year. I wanted to make this board so … it’s a platform to do other things with.
Does the game have the ability to be mapped to a standard controller? Could Activision implement that via a download?
You know what, we looked into it … the way that you physically play the game, it wouldn’t translate to a very challenging game with a joystick. The control scheme would have to be completely different, and we didn’t want to make a game that was confusing like that.
VGA 2009: Tony Hawk talks disappointing sales and future plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tony Hawk: Ride prototype skateboards employ arcade buttons, duct tape, love
If you managed to catch the last Engadget Show, you inevitably saw our own Paul Miller carve it up a bit on Tony Hawk: Ride. Of course, Mr. Miller is known ’round these circles as a “professional skater,” so there’s a solid chance he could’ve handled just about anything the guys and gals at Activision threw his way. The reality of the matter is that not everyone feels safe and secure on something resembling a skateboard, and now we’re being let in on the world of prototypes that were used to land on the final design. Within the read link you’ll find randomly placed arcade buttons, trucks with no wheels, a terrifying amount of sensors and a comical amount of duct tape. Yeah — even the whiz kids that make your dreams a reality start with duct tape. Go on, have a peek if you’re in disbelief.
Tony Hawk: Ride prototype skateboards employ arcade buttons, duct tape, love originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tony Hawk Ride ready to rock indoor tricks in the US (video)
After that false alarm about an October release date, the Tony Hawk Ride bandwagon was all set for departure on November 17 and that’s exactly what’s happened. Available for a cent under $120, the new game / peripheral combo will allow players to shimmy, gesture, and ollie their way to (simulated) skateboarding immortality on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. The earliest European availability we can see is offered by Amazon UK, which indicates a December 4 launch for the Queen’s isles and a discounted £89 ($149) price. You can check out our own feets-on with that wireless controller right here or, if you so wish, peruse the full PR at the read link. What’s not optional, however, is missing the bonus “making of” video for that most radical of peripherals, which we’ve lovingly prepared for you just after the break.
Continue reading Tony Hawk Ride ready to rock indoor tricks in the US (video)
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Tony Hawk Ride ready to rock indoor tricks in the US (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tony Hawk: Ride videos are in-game and out-of-game
We debated which of the two video assets Activision recently sent us for Tony Hawk: Ride should go a the top of the post, and which should be relegated to the unfavorable, post-jump real estate. The in-game trailer is pretty slick, and features that super catchy We Are Scientists jam. (You know the one, you hip guy, you.) However, the gameplay demonstration actually shows the peripheral being used to go on a “sick run,” apparently part of a long-standing feud between Activision and Robomodo.
We decided to put the “sick run” at the top of the post, if only because we want you to know that this is exactly how we looked the first time we played the game at E3. Only we didn’t crash quite so much, and also, when we finished playing, Tony Hawk himself came up and gave us a high-five with one of his giant hands. Check out the video above, then click past the jump to check out its neglected (but catchy!) brother.
Continue reading Tony Hawk: Ride videos are in-game and out-of-game
Tony Hawk: Ride videos are in-game and out-of-game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tony Hawk Ride pushed back to Dec. 4 in UK, arriving on time in NA
Despite concerns that one third of Activision’s holiday peripheral triforce would be missing its North American release date, the publisher has assured us today that Tony Hawk Ride will still be arriving on November 17 as planned. A rep from Acti told Joystiq, “The game is on sale Nov. 17 in the US, Nov. 27 in Germany and Dec. 4 in the UK,” confirming a two week delay for United Kingdom-ers.
We may be getting the game two weeks before you folks in the UK but look at it this way: now you have two more weeks to sell off your furniture and reorganize your living room for all your new plastic peripherals. Hooray!
Tony Hawk Ride pushed back to Dec. 4 in UK, arriving on time in NA originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hands-on: Tony Hawk Ride
Hi. I’m Joystiq writer Griffin McElroy, and those are my feet. They’re attached to my shins, which attach to a long sequence of other appendages which stop at my brain — which at the very moment this image was taken, was likely in a confused, panicked state. It’s a reflex reaction I usually turn to when placed before an alien video game peripheral, although in most cases, it quickly subsides, and is replaced with a steely determination to figure out how it works.
By the time I’d reached the end of my brief hands-on session with Tony Hawk Ride, I had only just begun to deconstruct the hardware’s machinations, and started determining how to deftly manipulate it in order to do sweet tricks. I was making progress in this endeavor when the demo came to a halt, but I’m still not sure my mind had completely wrapped around how I was supposed to manipulate the device. Is that indicative of the peripheral’s weakness? No, I think it can be entirely chalked up to the fact that skateboarders move in mysterious ways.
Continue reading Hands-on: Tony Hawk Ride
Hands-on: Tony Hawk Ride originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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