Following up a huge hit like Skate is a tough proposition, especially when you're reworking a control system that proved so successful. We spoke to Jay Balmer, Skate It's Producer, about his team's work.
Yahoo!: Why do you think Skate was such a hit?
Jay Balmer: Skate was really a fresh look at skateboarding in video games. It was a new way to play the genre and dropped some really great new features into the gaming world. We were all inspired by how much fun skateboarding is in real life and aimed to share that experience. That led to the Flickit controls, making videos with skate.reel, creating the city of San Vanelona and a very fun journey that was authentic to skate culture. Overall, the team just got it right and gave skateboarding the respect it deserves. It is also an accessible game that people can just pick up and play with like a toy, while still remaining challenging to master.
Y!: How are you adapting its control system for the DS and Wii?
JB: The controls and gameplay are at the heart of the Skate franchise, so we knew they had to be right in order to deliver Flickit to the Wii and NDS. Similar to how we started working on the original Skate, we had to forget what we knew and focus on the opportunities offered by the unique controls of each platform. There were several iterations on the controls until we found the most playable and intuitive system that treats the Wii-mote as your skateboard. You twist the Wii-mote to the left and right to steer; lift the Wii-mote up to Ollie; twist and lift the Wii-Mote to kickflip; all Wii-mote actions align with the motion of the skateboard. We are truly stoked about the results and it is fun to play for all skill levels.
On the NDS, it is all about using the stylus and touch screen controls to deliver something like the Flickit system in Skate. Flicks of the stylus control the flicks of the skateboard. The key challenge was allowing the gamer to use the stylus on the lower screen while not losing focus of the skater on the upper screen. Through testing and multiple iterations, the system has been refined to give gamers total control over the skateboard with easy movements so they can concentrate on the action.
For both consoles it took a while to find the elegant solution that delivers the Flickit experience. The end result is so good that now it seems ridiculously obvious (which is also the response we got from the controls on the original Skate).
"The Balance Board is both fun to play and to develop with. We're still exploring new ways to use it and we're continually tuning the experience."
Y!: What's it like playing Skate It with the Balance Board? What kind of reactions have you been getting?
JB: The reactions have been great. It is a fun way to play the game and really brings the feeling of skateboarding to the player.
The Balance Board is both fun to play and to develop with. We're still exploring new ways to use it and we're continually tuning the experience. In the end, the design will only include what is really fun for an "easy to step on and start skating" experience.
Y!: Will you be including Skate's popular online functions, like multiplayer and replay sharing?
JB: There will be local multiplayer modes available on both Wii and NDS. The NDS title will also support full WiFi play and Single and Multi card play for up to four players.
There won't be online play or uploading videos for the Wii, but there will be local replay functionality.This is a brand new game, so we're focused on nailing the core gameplay and delivering the Flickit experience to both platforms Our priority is to make sure the skateboarding is fun first.
Y!: When do you plan to release the games?
JB: Holiday 2008.
Posted: 30 May 2008
