Tony Hawk's latest video game, "Shred," uses the motion-controlled, step-on board introduced for his 2009 Ride game to put players into the action. But Hawk, who has been in the gaming business since 1999, foresees more developments for his games.
He is intrigued by Microsoft's Kinect and Sony's PlayStation Move motion-sensing devices, which were popular this Christmas season. They use cameras aimed at the players to detect movement. Kinect is completely hands-free play, while Move also uses a controller that can be used for shooting or similar actions.
"There are many exciting ways to utilize that technology with current games that would enhance the experience. I would love to explore the possibilities with our Ride/Shred controller to add the element of full-body control," Hawk said.
In addition to the new video game, Hawk has a book out, "How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO," co-written with his sister, Pat Hawk.
Q How are your motion-controlled games going to win over longtime fans accustomed to holding controllers or keyboards? Or, is "Shred" for a different audience?
A It is a different approach to gaming altogether. You are physically in control of the action, so it is immersive and much more rewarding when completing goals and challenges. The motions are subtle, so you don't need to be an experienced skateboarder to get good at it. I believe the audience is anyone not afraid to get up off the couch.
Q What is your favorite Tony Hawk video game?
A I am always most proud of our recent release because it includes all the best elements of our previous games, but I believe that "THPS2" ("Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2") set the standard for our series and helped to create skateboarding as a genre of video games. Let's put it this way: It's the only game we released for iPhone so far.
