The Tony Hawk video games have been in decline for years, but Activision is still a believer in the franchise. Following last year's Tony Hawk: Ride, which introduced the special skateboard controller, this year's Tony Hawk: Shred sold a paltry 3,000 units in October. It's a shockingly low number, and it no doubt will make Activision think twice about the series' direction... or will it?
In a recent interview the publisher defended its strategy with the long in the tooth skateboarding series. “There’s hopefully a method to that madness,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “For the first time we’re targeting that game to kids. It’s a gift-oriented game, but, that said, we need to build awareness for the game still. … I think you’ll hopefully see a bigger ramp-up as we get further into the gift giving season.”
As an encouraging sign for Activision, Hirshberg also pointed out that the Ellen Degeneres show recently named Shred among its top 12 holiday gifts.
