The title may shout Tony Hawk, but the games have always been about you. Immersive controls... deep customization... and, occasionally, even face mapping technology. Not many franchises work this hard to inject their players - through both look and feel - into the experience.

Proving Ground, the next installment in the Tony Hawk empire, plans to take these character building ideals to a new extreme. Creating your virtual persona won't happen so much in the startup screens as it does in the city's streets and parks. Which tricks will you practice most? Which pros will you hang with most? Your choices will affect who you are in Proving Ground... and what you're capable of achieving.

To find out how this quasi role-playing system works, and how all of the skating celebrities fit into it, check out our exclusive interview with co-project director Chad Finley below. Then hit our forums to discuss what kind of thrasher you'll be.

Above: Chad Finley, Co-Project Director - Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

July 5, 2007