Tony Hawk Almost Gave Up On Making A Skateboarding Game In The 1990s

Before Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater shredded on to the video game scene in 1999, the man himself “had given up” on making a skateboarding game. Hawk revealed in a new interview that talks with various developers and console manufacturers about the concept were going nowhere in the mid- to late 1990s.

Speaking with USA Today, Hawk talked about how “it was kind of an uphill battle convincing anyone” to create a skateboarding game. He cited growing up on the medium as a reason for pursuing the idea, noting the Intellivision was the first console he owned. Later, Hawk had a Commodore 64, SNES, and then a PlayStation, and he also briefly did video-editing work for the TurboGrafx 16 in the early ’90s. But with multiple companies passing on his idea, Hawk noted in 1997 that he basically had thrown in the towel.

Activision, however, was working on a skateboarding game and reportedly heard about Hawk’s desire to make such a title. “And so I went to Activision,” said Hawk. “I saw a very early build of what became THPS (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater), and immediately, I knew this was the game. I could tell instinctively that this would be the most fun, that this would be the best one to be involved with, and with my connections and resources and experience, we could make this something truly authentic.”

The pairing ultimately led to one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time–one that just saw the remake launch of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. The series has spanned over two decades and a dozen games, with Hawk admitting that THPS games are what fans want to talk about when he meets them in public.

As for Hawk, he usually plays as himself in the games, though he does test out other skaters to check out their tricks. If he had to choose someone other than himself, “then I’m playing my son Riley,” Hawk said.

Hawk is auctioning off his skateboard that he rode for the first-ever officially recorded 900 performed, which happened in 1999–the same year the THPS franchise began. You can also see how Hawk has changed over the years in video game form with GameSpot’s comparison of the skaters in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 from the original games. But it’s just not visual upgrades, as there are new levels to skate as well.