It's been a year since we last ground unlikely-looking rails in Tony's popular skateboarding franchise, which does kind of build the expectation that something new would, or at least should, be added. Activision did promise that this "won't be your father's Tony Hawk," after all.

Among the numerous marketing leak rumors we might have already heard about is the idea that the next Tony Hawk game will be coming with a skateboard peripheral.

Analyst Doug Creutz of Cowan and Company throws in his two cents and declares the rumor to be "highly likely," given the massive success of such peripheral bundled games like Guitar Hero #@%!4
5#@%! (Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 3) and Rock Band (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii).

In a note to investors, Creutz writes,

"We also view it as highly likely that the game will include some sort of skateboard peripheral with all SKUs when it ships, given the massive success (and higher price points and profitability) of Activision Blizzard's Guitar Hero franchise."

Since the technology for a pressure-sensitive board-like controller already successfully broke into the market via the Wii Fit's balance board, there shouldn't really be any reason to think Activision won't try something similar of their own. We should find out for sure some time in 2009 when the game is slated to come out.

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