How will SKATE differentiate itself from Tony Hawk games?
Balmer: I'll quote executive Producer, Scott Blackwood: "Since day one we've been competing more against reality than anything else. How do we keep it real, yet feel powerful and impactful? How do we match the feeling of accomplishment and mastery that everyone who has ever skated feels when they learn a new trick? We want to deliver a completely new experience that could match the feeling of actually riding a skateboard."
I'll quote Scott again on the controls: "We knew we were taking a risk in changing controls that have been around for many, many years but, after well over a year of tuning, I can honestly tell you we've developed a control system that is amazingly intuitive, rewarding and addictive."
It's unfortunate that we have to be seen as in competition with Tony Hawk, that's just not our style of skating or making games. Focusing on what somebody else has done limits your own potential.
Can you skate anywhere?
Balmer: San Vanelona is designed like a real city (we worked with city planners in the early stages) and not everything you see is skateable. I've never been able to sneak onto a cruise ship to skate. The wildest stuff is coming from Danny Way and is based on a real project that he is working on. Reality is crazy enough. This may sound like PR speak, but you really can skate your own way and create your own style... and create videos to show it.
