The release of the current generation of gaming consoles marked the sad end of one of the most popular gaming genres in existence, action sports. This genre was fuelled by skateboarding games such as the Tony Hawk franchise, which would ironically be held responsible for its demise. Now, however, there is an opportunity for the market to reopen. After the release (and failure) of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, EA could potentially revive this dead market by releasing the highly anticipated sequel to Skate 3, Skate 4.

Anyone that grew up playing video games prior to the release of the current generation consoles would agree with me in saying that action sports games were among the most popular. Those people may not have played them, but there is no denying that Tony Hawk, SSX, and Skate were some of the most successful games on each of their respected consoles. For starters, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series was one of the most iconic series to be released on earlier consoles. The second and third games in the series are critically ranked among the best games ever released for Sony’s Playstation and Playstation 2. The innovative gameplay and addicting nature of these games resulted in a surge of popularity. The reason they remained so popular is because with each release, the game built upon itself in tremendous ways. Each game improved upon what it was that made the last one so great, making THPS one of the most well known titles on the market.

As it improved, however, the Tony Hawk series began to dig its own grave. Tony Hawk’s Underground, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, and Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland were bittersweet titles. For one, Activision had finally mastered gameplay, perfecting the game that everyone fell in love with. On the other hand, the games started to become very repetitive, focusing on the storyline rather than overall game improvements. The cry for innovation forced Hawk to quickly adapt to a changing industry, especially with the addition of the Nintendo Wii. Activision’s answer was the wrong one, and that answer was Tony Hawk Ride. By adding a skateboard controller that the player must stand on, the idea was new and fresh. The game itself, however, was a complete wash. The amusement of actually standing on a skateboard controller quickly faded, leaving Hawk in a deep hole.

After the failure of Tony Hawk, the skating and action sports game everyone grew up playing would not be available on the new generation of consoles (Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s Playstation 3). In swoops EA, and they saved the genre. EA’s Skate series quickly took over the market, boasting more realistic physics and a brand new style of gameplay. Skate 3 is most definitely the highlight of the series, a game that many people, including myself, still play regularly. Made just a year after the second game in the trilogy, Skate 3 featured large, feature-filled map and an in depth park builder. The fan base quickly grew to a tremendous size and people immediately began wondering when Skate 4 would be coming. In fact, EA reprinted the game in 2014 due to the sudden spike in demand for the product. Youtube commentators such as Jacksepticeye and Pewdiepie began to record gameplay videos of Skate 3, and many people wanted to buy it again. Even four years after its initial release, this game remained popular and people were still actively creating parks and contributing to the online community.

Fast forward to the year 2015. While gamers were still playing Skate 3, the first skateboarding game for the latest generation of consoles was announced. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 would pick up right where the series left off when the fourth entry was released in 2002. The initial showcase of the game, however, resulted in a very negative first impression. The gameplay and physics looked identical to the older games, just with high definition graphics. Upon its release, players quickly discovered that the game literally picked up right where the 2002 game left off. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was a buggy, almost broken game that played worse than the older Tony Hawk games. It was no secret either, seeing as Activision did not release any review copies prior to the release. This delayed the negative reviews; so many people bought the game without knowing that anything was wrong with it. Fans of this genre were then left with no option but to go back to the old classics.

Because of the failed revival of the Tony Hawk series, the market is now wide open with a huge opportunity. EA could seize this opportunity and become the only game of its kind on the new consoles that is worth playing. Aside from THPS 5, there are no action sports games that have hit the current generation of consoles. The large community that was built around Skate 3 could assist in the development of the skateboarding game that everyone has dreamt about since they played the original Tony Hawk games. They already have a formula that works, so all that is left is assigning a team to the job. With such a big opportunity after the failed THPS 5, the only way to go is up.