Electronic Arts has opened Full Circle, a new studio in Vancouver, Canada that will develop the highly-anticipated Skate 4 and focus its efforts on the franchise's general growth. Since the release of Skate 3 in 2010, Skate fans have dreamed of little more than the brand's return to glory.
Fortunately, EA chose to answer the call, announcing Skate 4 during an EA Play livestream event last summer. This exciting reveal came just weeks after Activision unveiled Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, a remake collection for the beloved series' first two installments. The hype surrounding indie title Skater XL at the time may have also contributed to EA's interest in revisiting its own skateboarding juggernaut. Regardless of the publisher's reasoning, the Skate faithful could not be happier.
Evidently, EA is doubling down on its commitment to bringing back Skate, evident in the establishment of Vancouver-based studio Full Circle. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Full Circle is the new crew dedicated to the Skate brand and Skate 4's production. Former Xbox Live boss Daniel McCulloch serves as the studio's general manager. Deran Chung and Cuz Parry, creative forces behind previous Skate titles, joined the team to "lead the charge on the next evolution of the franchise." In a joint statement, Chung and Parry noted: "We're so stoked to be back working on Skate. Some would say things have come full circle." McCulloch issued a statement of his own:
"The fans wished Skate back into existence and we want them to feel involved in the process from development to game launch and beyond. We want them to feel like they are a part of Full Circle. We're all about having fun and making great games that people want to play with their friends. And, we're looking for more developers to help us build compelling worlds for players to explore."
Considering the meteoric success of THPS 1+2, it would seem there's no better time than now for another classic skating series to reemerge. The wait for Skate 4 could be a long one, though. Since Full Circle is just now setting up shop, and still recruiting staff, reason suggests very little work, if any, has been accomplished.
It'll be interesting to see what the Skate 4 experience entails once more concrete information surfaces. Unlike THPS 1+2, Electronic Arts' next skateboarding-related endeavor isn't a remake. Full Circle must build an entirely new project from the ground up. Will it follow in Skater XL's footsteps, avoiding preprogrammed tricks and move-sets? Or might Skate once more try to carve out its own niche?
Skate 4 presently lacks a release date.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz