Apparently, Activision wasn’t entirely behind the idea and the name of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5.
In an interview with Playboy, Tony Hawk explained why the game was named Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, even though it had been years since the fourth one came out.
I think it’s the series that people have the most nostalgia for, and it’s the series that put us on the map. It just seemed like the time to revisit that game’s approach and what made it popular in the first time. I’m not going to lie, I had to fight for that idea and that title, but I’m glad I did.
Hawk then was asked why he had to fight for the game, and he explained that it was partially due to some of the unique features of Pro Skater 5, like players being able to create skateparks.
Just because they [Activision, the game’s publisher] didn’t want to pigeonhole it into something that’s just T.H.P.S.-specific. There’s also a separation between those games and this one in the sense that people can create and share their own parks [in the new game]. But, for me, the gameplay and the feel of the new game is still very much in the realm of the Pro Skater series.
However, it doesn’t look like Hawk will be fighting to make any more games with Activision, as their partnership is set to expire this year. According to an old PR document found on PR Newswire, the deal between Hawk and Activision “expires in 2015,” meaning this could be his last game.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was released earlier this week, but keep a lookout for our upcoming review of the title.
[Source: PR Newswire via IBTimes, Playboy]