In a presentation to industry analysts, Electronic Arts' president Frank Gibeau has announced that they will be releasing sequels for both Skate (Xbox 360, PS3) and Mass Effect as well as a new Burnout game. If you want to find out more, head on over to the full article by clicking on the "read more" link below.

When a gaming company manages to churn out a hit franchise, we'd most probably think that they hit paydirt, like what Activision did when they came up with the Guitar Hero series of games. However, the benefits of coming up with a great title may be a bit of a bane as well.

According to analyst Mike Hickey from Janco Partners, the emerging competition resulting from Activision's Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk franchises may prove to be "damaging for growth prospects".

Of course, when talking about Guitar Hero's and Tony Hawk's competition, it can only mean Harmonix' Rock Band (for the Xbox 360, PS3) and EA's Skate (also for the Xbox 360 and PS3). Hickey said that Rock Band may prove to be a compelling option in the console music gaming genre, which may eventually mean trouble for Activision itself.

Hickey said that analysts are expecting the Guitar Hero series to develop and evolve with the addition of new music peripherals in the near future, which will help the franchise in staying afloat in the midst of competition.

Electronic Arts Black Box Executive producer Scott Blackwood gave word that the company has no plans to have any downloadable content for Skate (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3). He also addressed players who were asking about the lack of female characters in the game.

He justified the lack of DLC in Skate by saying that "we didn't want to go back and ask [gamers] for more money to get more shoes and shirts. That's not how we wanted to enter this market." While this will undoubtedly disappoint fans of the the title who want to get more stuff for the game, if they were going to offer nothing more than cosmetic changes, then players might get a bit upset.

Blackwood also took the time to address players who wanted to see female characters in the game. He said that, "we really wanted women to be in there and have all sorts of cool stuff to wear and hairstyles" but it would have been counter-productive. He explains this further:

You have to choose between watering the whole thing down and making it just really mediocre for everybody, or do you focus? We decided to focus. I will say, however, that was the hardest decision on this project. But we are going to make it up to you. When we do it - and we will - it's going to be done very well.

Apparently, their decision has paid off, as the Skate community would probably attest to. Hopefully, EA continues to keep up their dedication to quality in their future releases.

Fans of skating in the UK shouldn't miss out on this great offer: Blockbuster UK is giving out free copies of Alten8's Skateboard Tips and Tricks for every purchase of EA's SKATE.

For those who live a bit too far from the nearest Blockbuster outlet in the UK, don't fret, as the DVD will be featured as downloadable content in Xbox Live in the near future. Alten8's DVD will sure come in handy for those who are inspired to take up the sport after doing all those tricks in SKATE.

The DVD feature is filmed in UK's famous Sixty6 skate park, and is also sponsored by Microsoft Xbox 360. Alten8 sees their partnership with EA games for this bundled offer as a very lucrative venture. "This is the first of many Alten8 video productions...We are very pleased and proud to be associated with such a great game as SKATE and to have our work partnered with such high calibre product, said Paul Andrews, CEO of Alten8.

EA's SKATE will be available for both the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3.

Buy: [SKATE (PS3)]
Buy: [SKATE (Xbox 360)]

There's some bad news and a somewhat-good news for gamers waiting for the the release of Electronic Art's SKATE: the game's scheduled launch on September 12 is delayed, but the slightly good news? It's only going to be for just two days.

Part of the apology statement posted in EA's SKATE official forums went as follows:

If you were planning on staying home sick on the 12th to name your first gap or if (like us) you bought a bunch of guacamole that expires on the 12th for your Skate party we send our sincerest apologies!

With only a two-day delay getting in the way of enjoying EA's SKATE, posters in their official forums didn't appear to be upset over the news. This may prove that all the announcements of delays are actually silver linings: people are now starting learn the virtue of patience.

Buy: [SKATE (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [SKATE (PS3)]

Skating is fun. It's exhilarating. And Electronic Arts was pretty successful in giving an honest depiction of the skating experience in its next-gen title SKATE (PS3, Xbox 360). So honest, in fact, that you'll be sure to break some of those virtual bones of you if you don't press on those buttons correctly.

Doubting it? Just check out this "Bails" video right here. Never mind if it's just a game character. It's still sure to elicit that "Ouch!" from you.

But if you don't want your character to end up in a wheelchair, then you go ahead and check out the second video, this time on the "Mad Skills gameplay." Watch and learn. If you pull this off, then you'll be hearing loads of cheers and not jeers. Oh, and it will save you the horror of hearing cracking bones, too.

Enjoy the vids!

Bails

Mad Skills gameplay video after the jump!

Buy: [Skate (PS3)]
Buy: [Skate (Xbox 360)]

This week, we've got another trailer coming from the hardworking people over at Electronic Arts' Skate project. As usual, we're being treated to some serious next-gen eye-candy on the extreme side. What's cool about this one is that it's a comparison of the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 versions. Check it out:

Skate is a game that's not just about speeding down a lane or getting smooth with 'em moves. It actually lets gamers take absolute control of their created characters and guide them from novice to superstar status. What's more, gamers can take advantage of Skate's option that allows them to upload clips of their finest tricks in order to show off exactly what level in the video game they're currently in. Players can even upload their fumbles as some form of entertainment, though most would probably opt not to.

So, did you spot any differences? Skate is coming out for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 soon. Better start saving up precious though for this one, because chances are it'll be flyin' high.

Buy: [Skate (PS3)]
Buy: [Skate (Xbox 360)]

With the release of Electronic Arts' Skate (Xbox 360, PS3) right around the corner, we could smell sweaty anticipation from miles away. EA's attempt to reach a market dominated by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater may very well be a successful one, as most of us know what the gig is all about. Here are some videos showing off what this down-to-earth video game has to offer.

By down-to-earth, we don't mean Skate will be lacking the bells and whistles of a complete skating game. What it brings to the table is more realistic skateboarding, almost strict physics, and no death-defying jumps off half-pipes. Doesn't sound too rad, you say? The first couple of videos will show you what tricks you can bust and how good they look.

The third one is a short but sweet advertisement about encouraging your thumb to nail tricks while playing Skate. That's right - your thumb. Through flickit controls, a dexterous thumb and sticks can do wonders. Find out more by checking the videos out..

More videos at the Full Article!

Buy: [Skate (PS3)]
Buy: [Skate (Xbox 360)]

Some six videos just went up on IGN, featuring various tricks you can nail in Electronic Arts' Skate (PS3, 360). From popping the Shove It to grinding, EA's entry to the skateboarding genre undoubtedly looks like it'll play different from the reigning king, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

To hit it off the ground, gravity in Skate is more realistic, preventing players from reaching unbelievable heights. Nailing more than a single flip trick from flat land seems to be a challenge, as we can see in several videos. Grinding is more down-to-earth and balance-oriented as far as we can gather.

What the big names in skateboarding have in common is how painful bailing looks. You'll see in one of the videos that when a skater falls down, he falls down bad. Another similarity is in the environment, as Skate doesn't really appear different from Tony Hawk Pro Skater's skate parks.

This game is all about capturing the feel of real skateboarding, so let's quit the chatter. Find all the rock solid videos below after the jump!

 

It's six days late but the Skate (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) demo has finally hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. Get it now and start popping those tricks.

Those who download the timed demo will have thirty minutes to wrap their minds around a pretty good part of what Skate has to offer. Gamers will be introduced to the game's Flickit controls, after which they can get down to skating all over a community center skate park.

PlayStation 3 owners will also be getting their hands on the Skate demo soon. Electronic Arts has reportedly completed it and sent it to Sony, so it's just a question of when the latter will unleash the demo on the PlayStation Network. To learn more about Skate, click on the Read link below.


Buy: [Skate (PS3)]
Buy: [Skate (Xbox 360)]