Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD likely won't include original soundtrack(s)

One of the biggest questions surrounding Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD wasn't which levels would be included, or which characters players could skate as, but whether or not the original soundtracks would be included. The games' mix of punk, metal, and rock has earned it a huge amount of acclaim over the years, and is likely one of the most memorable parts of the first few games (well, besides that school level). While there's still no official answer from the publisher, Activision's Dan Amrich has posted a blog that can best be summarized as "don't get your hopes up."

Apparently the main hurdle is with the licensing. "Music licensing is a one-time deal. The songs from the original games were only licensed for those specific games on those specific platforms at that specific time," Amrich explains. "Any other versions created later would need new licensing deals."

But all is not lost! Don't go spraypainting angry letters to Activision just yet. Amrich explains that there's still a chance that the developers will include some of the older songs into the new game, but he notes that it's simply not a sure thing. If you're especially passionate about certain tracks, he suggests going over to the games' Facebook page and making sure the developers know about it. Even then, however, there's no guarantee. "From a legal/licensing standpoint, they are back to square one. Having the same levels of the original games is not the same thing as having the same soundtrack."