Activision: Too Early to Close Book on Tony Hawk

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, has decided it's time to defend Tony Hawk Shred from its detractors and lack of sales. His chosen weapon? Faint praise.

He begins, "I think it’s early to close the book on Tony Hawk Shred, because we are marketing it to kids, and it is a great gift, and the gift-giving season has already begun. We’re going to keep the pedal to the metal on that and continue to market through the holiday and hopefully we’ll deliver some proponent."

Right, pedal to the metal for a skateboarding title. So, why didn't the game sell?

"The interesting thing is that I think the last game had some technical problems with the board, and lots of times when you innovate that happens. This game and the relationship between the game and the board is spectacular."

So, definitely not going to kill the series then? "... Tony Hawk does really still have relevance and tremendous appeal for people. He is a lasting icon. He has that Michael Jordan-ish or Jordan-esque staying power, seemingly. And that doesn’t mean that other great skaters haven’t come up who are younger and more current, but he really is that kind of Mount Rushmore-level guy in that category, so that’s not the issue. I think we have to ask all the smart questions and make some smart moves in terms of innovation to see if we can recapture people’s imaginations."

In short, you could translate this into, "We've signed a longterm contract that we can't get out of."

What's your opinion on Tony Hawk games?

Source: GI.biz