Tony Hawk has done it all. He’s been a professional skateboarder, philanthropist, activist, actor, and entrepreneur, all by the age of 45.
One of the things Hawk is most well known for is his video game series, which began in 1999 with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Since then, 13 more video games have been created for 16 different platforms ranging from PlayStation and Xbox to Windows and Nintendo DS.
According to Edward Iwata of USA Today and NPD Group research firm industry analyst Anita Frazier, Tony Hawk’s games have consistently ranked in the top 10 in sales in the United States during the year they were released. Tony Hawk video games have also sold 30 million units in the past decade.
So how did Hawk create a video game series that impacted the future of skateboarding and the video game world? By experimenting with aspects of video games that hadn’t been touched before, Hawk has created a multi-million dollar video game industry.
In 1997 Sega released Top Skater, an arcade-style game that was one of the first to allow players to perform tricks on skateboards. When Hawk created Pro Skater, he branched out from the arcade style used in Top Skater and chose to design a setting that depicted real-life scenery. Pro Skater was the first skateboarding game to include a realistic setting, giving players an accurate depiction of what it’s like to skateboard.
Another aspect of Tony Hawk’s video game series that makes it unique from other games is the soundtrack. The original Pro Skater included edgy rock songs from bands such as Goldfinger and the Dead Kennedy’s. Players have the option of listening to any of the songs included in the game as they skate. The edgy rock tunes fit well with the game as players try to land tricks including kick flips and pop shove-its.
The aspect of the Tony Hawk video game series that’s arguably what made the series most successful is that it’s easy for anyone to play. Any player of any age and any skill level has the ability to play Pro Skater or any of Hawk’s other skating games. As someone who doesn’t know how to ride a skateboard, Pro Skater taught me how to land tricks that I had never heard of.
Hawk’s video game series has become so influential that it’s branched into other areas outside the video gaming world. Pandemonium, a popular roller coaster at Six Flags locations around the United States, was originally named Tony Hawk’s Big Spin. The roller coaster strives to give riders the ‘full Tony Hawk experience’ and had the look and feel of giant red and black skateboards.
Tony Hawk’s video game series has greatly influenced the video game industry by creating a real-life setting in the game, picking edgy rock music to fit the skater theme, and by making the game appropriate for anyone to enjoy. Tony Hawk and his video game series have greatly increased the popularity of skateboarding around the world. Skateboarding, as well as Tony Hawk’s multi-million dollar video game industry are still increasing in popularity today.