Once It Acquires Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Should Get the Pro Skater Franchise Rolling Again
Man, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. What a ride, eh?
The series initially began in the late 90s, beginning a revolution on the PlayStation front (and other consoles) with its nearly endless trick system, appealing soundtrack and entertaining visual set-up. It set Neversoft apart from other developers, and allowed them to thrive for years before they merged with Infinity Ward.
Of course, the track got bumpy as the franchise went on, somehow leaning into the motion gaming category with the awful Tony Hawk Ride and Shred, and eventually landing with a thud with the poorly produced Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, which effectively put a tombstone on the franchise.
Or so we thought. A while back, Vicarious Visions produced Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2, bringing the series roaring back with great visuals, sharp gameplay, online features and so much more. The game has sold millions of copies, and just arrived on Steam for a new audience to enjoy.
But…it’s weird. Vicarious Visions has since been acquired by Blizzard and turned into…gah…Blizzard Albany. And the “old” Activision has sworn that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 & 4 won’t happen, in spite of the first package’s success.
Keep in mind, however, that was old Blizzard.
See, Microsoft is about to move in on Activision Blizzard, finalizing its $66 billion acquisition this month and, hopefully, ousting the old guard, including worn out CEO Bobby Kotick. That means doing away with the harsh culture that had haunted the company for years, and instead producing a lineage in line with the “gamer-centric” ways of Xbox. Sure, it’s a multi-billion dollar company. But, unlike Sony, it’s taking care of its audience.
Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, already noted how he wants to work on older Activision Blizzard franchises that have since bit the dust under this current leadership. “We’re hoping that we’ll be able to work with them when the deal closes to make sure we have resources to work on franchises that I love from my childhood and that the teams really want to get,” he noted in an early interview. “I’m looking forward to these conversations. I really think it’s about adding resources and increasing capability.”
Of course, this means Guitar Hero could thrive again — and I mean the classic version, not whatever Guitar Hero Live was — and others, like Blur, could be given consideration. Whew. But, more importantly, this could mean that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 & 4 could happen after all. Sure, there’d have to be business maneuverings, but under Xbox, it seems there’s a lot more possible than there was under the old Activision Blizzard way of thinking.
Obviously this will take time. Rome wasn’t rebuilt overnight, and Microsoft didn’t get everything right with Bethesda (cough hack Redfall cough hack). But there’s that sliver of hope that Pro Skater could roll on to greatness, and a re-release of 3 and 4 could give the franchise the boost it needs to move forward. Hell, who knows, maybe Neversoft could return to form and give the team a chance to produce the true sequel the franchise truly deserves. It worked for Crash (and reportedly Spyro).
Anyway, wishful thinking. Here’s hoping that Phil and the team give this franchise consideration. It was magnificent before, it just got magnificent again, so why not keep the good times rolling?
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Keep on gaming!
