Tony Hawk: Ride Is A 360 Exclusive (In Britain)

so what does this mean for me, In Ireland
are we bound by the silliness of our own system and not given an english language game capable of PAL output on the ps3?

looks like Microsoft likes to go time to time ina shopping frenzy of stupid and useless exclusives. LIke Tomb Raider DLC.

Daniel Pizarro Sánchez

@M3RL1NS_N3M3S1S: In fact, stupid exclusivities started with Microsoft, so you should go after them.

Daniel Pizarro Sánchez

@John-irl: Yeah, I hope not. Not because I want the game but because I hate Ireland not being recognised as a separate country.

I shudder every time I begrudgingly click "UK" on websites that don't bother with an Irish version

Rory Michael O'Sullivan

@Mike Newlad: You can fly UK to France in 45 min

Rory Michael O'Sullivan

@Mike Newlad: Exactly! Because the PS3 is region free this only means slightly more irritating purchasing. Knowing how games tend to go out in US before Europe the PS3 gamers could even have the game before the 360 "exclusive" is released

Rory Michael O'Sullivan

Hmm.... Hey, listen to that.

You hear it?

It's the sound of nobody caring.

Superlocke

@Ghetto-Cornetto: The problem for MS is that when Sony do this then 360 gamers can't import (360 is nice and region locked) that said PS3s are not region locked. PS3 gamers can import from Ireland or (if they've decided to be ignorant and include Ireland in the UK) France or Germany.

MS cant region lock exclusivity, Sony can

Rory Michael O'Sullivan

@Eton: either way, the PS3 is region free... microsoft achieve NOTHING! :P

exion

"the Sceptred Isle"?

I live in the UK, and I've never heard that before.

@Bum_Trumpet: I really don't see why exclusives are dirty business. It's just business. I remember when Sega got the Tomb Raider on the saturn (?) before the playstation.
I remember when the PS1 got FF instead of the N64.
I remember when EA games were on the Genesis and Capcom games were on the SNES.

Business as usual.

Thriceborn

Actually 360 rules in UK alone, while PS3 rules Europe. But there are fanboys in every corner of the world, and they undoubtedly will be in the UK. And how pissed they will be.

forzak

@RomieYO: agreed. the notion of even doing silly flicks with your feet to simulate real skating sounds silly. they better have a real dan good explanation on how this is even going to be remotely fun.

if the board is not simulating real skating, whats the point. THPS FRanchise is trying a bit too hard to be innovative. this game smells like a big bucket of FAIL.

@John-irl: also wondering the same thing, have both consoles, but this exclusive thing is getting out of hand, i remember when the only gaming battles gamers had to deal with was were you a sonic or a mario fan... sony and MS are gonna kill their own industry if they keep this tit for tat shit up...

M3RL1NS_N3M3S1S

@John-irl: Lol, the last two Tony Hawk games sold 500k combined world wide sales for the PS3. I hardly think Britain tapped even a quarter of that.

Mike Newlad

@☆Y2Jason☆: I don't know how small you think Britain is mate but an hour's drive wouldn't get me near France. However, the internet means we can preorder the game (as if anyone would) and it will turn up on day release as if it came out here.

Mike Newlad

@1up: Sony with Ghost Busters, Microsoft with TH - why is Britain the fighting ground, what have we done?

Mike Newlad

@Captain Pigeon: Lol, that's an excellent point. Anyone in Britain willing to pay for that board are clearly going to import it from america rather than buying a 360.

Mike Newlad

@stupid_mcgee: uber pyro > zerg rush: Truth, I think they would have done better paying THQ for UFC and Smackdown - both have a massive following of devoted fans who would sell their mum to buy the 360.

Mike Newlad

@Ghetto-Cornetto: As a Brit and owner of both platforms I can honestly say

"huh! Oh well"

Skate was vastly superior and I weight 19stone I highly doubt, that controller was designed for me.

Mike Newlad

I suppose this won't get the same reaction as Sony's Atari bail out the other week.

@KEELr: Yeah, except MS disbanded all the companies they bought that made great games.

@Ricardo Freitas: Its not he american way it's the fucking Microsoft way. You guys can have them if you want, personally i think they should move to russia.

@sander_dutch: lol

exclusive for 3 months or so at most, it's a crippling financial decision otherwise..

gique

Uh...its not really a UK exclusive to 360 when you consider that UK PS3 owners will just import from the states. Region free gaming. I <3 PS3.

Even though not in Britain, I'm getting pretty pissed by these explussivity moves. The players are the ones getting screwed. But it's always only Europe, right?

If you don't know how that is, imagine a game (usually very popular ones) being released in Canada only, not in the US.

@mitch_93: i think it's a bit rough to say sony started this with ghostbusters. how about GTA dlc, fallout 3dlc or rock band? i could go on but you get the point. one company alone started this the same company that has been know to pull dirty tactics in numerous businesses a few too many times.

good job ps3 games are not region locked!

trevortibble

@Ironfistchinmi: It really doesn't matter all that much since PS3 is region free.

@stupid_mcgee: uber pyro > zerg rush: Normally I would agree with you, but I like Killzone 2 without the 12-year-olds screaming about their latest t-bag kill every 5 seconds....

Sure I get them on PS3, but compared to 360 it's almost no one which is nice in my opinion.

L1GHTN1N

@david78: The sole reason I don't have rock band or rock band 2 is the fact it didnt come out for nearly 6 months on the ps3 after the 360 in britian. I now have a 360 but can't be bothered to get it now that it's old hat.

Anyways tony hawk's games have been bad after THPS4. Fact.

Just play skate!

razerangel

@nbnz: In europe the PS3 is the more dominant console by a long shot, in the UK its more balanced.

It's a pity the last few tony hawk's games have been sub par, I now only play skate and skate 2. This is just a gimmicky controller that will ruin the feel of the game. Oh well thats £70-90 they won't be getting off me :).

razerangel

@Antiterra: Yep. Should be some fun and games if anyone kicks up enough of a noise about it (though the downside is if it gets extended to EC-wide exclusive and upsets everyone else as well).

phisheep

Gimme a Top Skater arcade and im sorted.

I dunno about this, I just think It would be better to spend all those "timed exclusive" money on making some killer first party exclusives Instead.

Sony seems to be on the right track lately with that.

@phisheep: Well, I guess we'll see how it plays out, won't we?...

@Eon: All ghostbusters title were going to get delayed in pal territories, Sony made sure theirs wasn't, they didn't pay Atari to delay it on others platforms, on the other hand microsoft does this every freaking time, I guess it's the american way...No innovation let's just buy out everything and screw with the competition.

Ricardo Freitas

@bluem4gic: Sony didn't pull anything with ghostbusters, atari was going to delay all version of the game in pal territories, but because sony had their blu ray re release scheduled they made sure that their version wasn't gonna get pushed back, microsoft didn't care! In this case microsoft PAID so that other plataforms wouldn't get the game!
and you are right, microsoft has to change their mentality, it's like they are a spoiled rich brat, no innovation no originality let's just buy everything so that others don't have access to it.

Ricardo Freitas

@metallicorphan: Well talk to microsoft then, sony made sure that their version wasn't gonna get delayed, microsoft didn't, it's not sony who has to pay companies so that they release it for other platforms earlier. Now this scenario is different, because microsoft paid activision so that other platforms would get the title, which I think is a such a dick move omg.

Ricardo Freitas

@Antiterra:

Your word of advice is a bit misdirected (though you weren't to know that). I spend much of each week in the company of lawyers specialising in this stuff.

Not legal. Article 81 EC Treaty and plenty of associated caselaw both nationally and in European Court of Justice. Prohibits agreements between undertakings that may affect trade between member States and have as their object or effect the prevention restriction or distortion of competition.

This applies in particular to agreements that seek to limit or control markets.

As a result, unless this is an EC-wide exclusive rather than as reported just the UK, the exclusivity agreement will be void and offer a complete defence to any attempt by Microsoft to enforce it.

phisheep

@Tom Clancy's Samuraidino.

Lol, this sounds like an act of desperation imo, if true.

Grind_Axis

Thank God for that! Might actually be worth a punt if it stays an X360 exclusive, and isn't (Like they say) a timed exclusive

I think if this doesn't sell well on the X360 here in the UK, then it certainly wouldn't sell well on the PS3 or Wii, so maybe the developers have deliberately tested the market here to save themselves from losing out too much - After all, the UK economy isn't too great right now, and we get ripped off for everything as it is, so who actually has £70+ to shell out on yet another plastic peripheral...?

Again, Kotaku: the UK and Britain are not the same thing!

CTU_Kyoto

@sander_dutch: Eh?

timed exclusive this is activison were talking about

SILVERAMMO

Looks dumb. I even skateboard, but withought grip tape you can't do shit on a board.

People can claim that MS are b******* for this but Sony did pretty much the same with Ghostbusters.

Eon

Hmmm, hey, maybe if we release a game as an exclusive to the 360 in a place where the ps3 is actually more popular, then we'll make lots more money!

MuffinMan0

And this is why the very early pre-BC Europeans dug the Channel; to keep the crazy UK separated from sensible Europeans

@mitch_93: Sony picked up Ghostbusters because atari has stopped publishing games in the EU.More than likely,if SOny hadnt done that none of the consoles would have seen the game till the autumn.

If its being made for the PS3, I can't imagine it'll never be released here. Probably the same deal as Rock Band.

tobz1000

@Crimsondramon: Or other PAL regions for the fact of the matter...damn this thing needs an edit >_>

Lolwut? XD

Shouldn't be a problem since PS3 owners can simply import the US versions!

@fastpotato: The gimmick IS the game - you can't play it without that controller.

@flukielukie: As xspyk said, you're boned pretty much. It's controller, or bust.

@Antiterra: *as well as

@phisheep: Not legal? As much as I dislike the move, I'm pretty damn sure it's 100% legal. They have all the grounds in the world if they stroke a deal with the publisher.

Word of advice: don't get all hot under the collar about things you don't seem to grasp too well.

(...unless I skipped the paragraph where it says Redmond has sent hired guns to force Activision to comply, as well assassins to stop anyone from Sony and Nintendo from complaining - in which case, I apologise.)

@Ashurahori: What a set of sneaky assholes, they can get fucked if they think I'm going to import the game, one life long Hawks fan just got crossed off the list.
BASTARDS!

@splatternick:

I have not cared about a Tony Hawk game for almost a decade.

dd528

Way to go, Microsoft,

Can't afford to upset the folk in your home turf, so go off and upsets the Brits instead. Well, I suppose your lets-upset-the-customers department needs something to do ...

But also, just how many massive fines from the European Union is it going to take for you to eventually cotton on that this isn't actually, um, LEGAL? As in anti-competitive, as in you have no actual ground for preventing Sony/Nintendo from releasing in the UK anyway and you will get stopped if you try? Guess your legal department needs a bit of a work-out as well.

Hey, how's your games department doing?

phisheep

@david78: Agreed 100%. This doesn't help anyone. It doesn't really push sales. All it does is foment resentment.

@Dragonzigg: The Tony Hawk franchise is well known and will still generate a certain level of faithful sales, but I doubt it would be worth sole exclusive rights. It will sell, and fairly well, I'm sure. But I don't think you're going to see Earth-shattering numbers like you did with Tony Hawk 1 and 2.

@Ashurahori: With such a popular title I seriously doubt it's a full exclusive. Most likely a timed exclusive. Personally, I think this kind of thing is stupid as hell. Instead of dividing the playerbase they should be uniting them. You want to really sell hardware? Let people be able to play with each other and they'll make up their own mind. I guarantee you if people could also play Gears of War on a PS3 and play against 360 users, they gladly would. It might even push sales of the PS3, what with better graphics and the added bonus of Blu Ray. Likewise, 360 owners surely wouldn't mind playing Killzone 2, and it would significantly add to the playerbase since the 360 is a much cheaper console geared more towards teens and pre-teens.

@flukielukie:
Too bad it doesn't work without the board controller...

xspyk

@splatternick: Just thought of something else. ONLY Activision would even DARE to try this, in a time of economical crisis. What's that? Economy's fucked? RELEASE MOAR EXPENSIVE PLASTIC CRAP!!

Who. Cares.

is this a joke? go outside and use a real skateboard. What can you possibly do on this?

This really really stupid. I owe all the consoles and I reside in the UK. I can't believe that Microsoft is pulling this one off and Sony with Ghostbusters. I really feel for people who only have one of the consoles. Why the hell is shit allow to go one. I believe really shows Microsoft current weakness with thier 1st and 2nd party lineup.

I am sure that they will unveil their shitty camera at the E3 trade show and bang on about how they embracing the casual gamer but this is really a dick move.

This kind of mentality really has to change.

bluem4gic

Arn't PS3 games region free? So.. I can just import it (if I wanted it) right? Seems like a pretty poor exclusivity deal to me.

joecolly

Doesn't matter, the TH series has never been realistic enough to bother me, and no, I'm not vindictive just because I couldn't fathom why people bothered learning what amounts to a 100-hit combo to get an unbeatable score until someone figures out a 101-hit combo.

The games has been the same since the first entry. This is the first new innovation to the series, and it looks to be more fail than anything I've seen current-gen.

Wahrheit

This is stupid :/

what a load of shit...i want fucking Ghostbusters on my 360 in the UK

I just can't wrap my head around why Microsoft would bother paying to make this an exlusive in just one region when UK's can just import it. If it was all of Europe I'd understand as the language thing might be an issue but just having a UK exclusive is a really, really odd move.

ClockOut

Oh noooooooooes!!!! Oh wait, I also have a 360. Oh wait, I don't live in the UK. Oh wait, I'm not really interested in skateboard games.

Why the hell am I even commenting, you say? Glad you asked: I'm heating up the delicious ratatouille I made yesterday and I have a few minutes to kill.

Still, yet again, another bullshit move along the lines of exclusive DLC. Crappity-crap-crap. Timed exclusivity doesn't annoy me nearly as much, as long as it's announced right from the get-go. We'll see what type of deal this is exactly.

Um, yay? I may only use my 360, but still... The last Tony Hawks game I got was Underground 2 for the GameCube.

CrazyBlue

I wonder if this will include Ireland, some game companies include Ireland when they say UK...stupid exclusive imo.

@SiegWarheit: Exactly, travel an hour to another country and pick it up lol.

Even this was done in reverse, it would be easy as hell to grab a PAL copy of the 360 version from a nearby country.

Which is why exclusivity in England and other PAL countries is pretty rare.

@mitch_93: Im just gonna guess that you missed the second part of the Ghostbusters story?

@Ashurahori: 360 is more popular than the PS3 in UK. For rest of Europe I think it's more even or PS3 is slightly more popular.

Still, this seems an odd thing to grab as an exclusive. An unproven and likely expensive peripheral game.

nbnz

Well that is just utterly pointless cause the PS3 is region free so people in the uk can just import the PS3 version.

Pointless, absolutely pointless.

Time To Take Up Knitting!

PaxtonAstypalaea

Don't mess with the M to the S. Don't really care about thi@Ashurahori: Like with any business, the new customers get the introductory offers.. the old ones get fucked

I only have the 360 but still, no thanks. I like to relax when I play my video games. This is one exclusive that doesn't impress.

Oh so first Sony pull an idiotic move on us Europeans with ghostbusters and now Microsoft does this to the British? Freaking hilarious how both companies lost their touch.

mitch_93

@MailToad:

^^^

Fail.

Hopefully this one works [gasbanditry.com]

comes...

@Ashurahori: As always.

Ehm.. They're in the EU, it's not like importing it for the PS3 will be hard nor expensive :P What a waste imo.

I own a ps3 and an xbox 360 so it doesn't bother me either way, but I think this is such a dirty move...

Interesting business decision...

If I buy 2 of them, can I go skiing? Is that how it is spelt? meh.

kitsuneconundrum

That is really is a dick move, can't really justify it on the gamers point of view. At least they can important unlike say with most 360 games, however wouldn't like to guess the shipping for the controller as well.

Captain Pigeon

[img][gasbanditry.com]]

/sarcasm

Are they talking about the Skateboard gimmick thing, or the actual game???

If the latter, that's pretty stupid right?

This nonsense is ridiculous. Microsoft should know from Rock Band that doing this doesn't help them at all.

Multi platform games should be completely multiplatform.

Has to be a timed exclusive.

Ironfistchinmi

Wow, Microsoft must have laid out serious, serious amounts of money for this to happen. Not sure it a wise investment either.

Wow... that's pretty fucking disgraceful.

@Ashurahori: ...and the gamers are the ones who suffer with this shit.

Ashurahori

Britain ALONE?

In Europe, the Playstation-loving continent?

Whoooboy... this exclusive business is getting into a serious bitchslap fight.

Ashurahori

I've got a 360, and enjoy Tony Hawk's

If it's like the old games I'll get it without the controller but I would try the controller before concidering getting it with the controller.

I just liked the wackyness of TH more than Skates try tricks over and over till you get them right and then feel.. proud about it.

@FP_slomo788: Exactly. Business is business. If people can't fucking handle that, stop playing games altogether.

I certainly would have, but I'm saving up to get a shiny new (or if I can find one with backward compatibility) PS3.

Work is boring as hell, but one day I can get that PS3 to sit side by side with the 360, the Wii, and my PC.

@kitsuneconundrum: Rollerblading peripheral NOW!

@Mike Newlad: 19 stone. I dunno how much that is, but I'm a pretty heavy guy, this thing would snap under my feet.

EDIT: Ah, I just looked it up. I think I weigh more than you then. 280 Pounds, nah this peripheral isn't for me.

Already retracted: [www.gamesindustry.biz]

thesean

We all know that these things are timed.

MGS4 has been an anomaly so far, but I think it's far to say that unless Microsoft or Sony are publishing, there's no such thing.

Even in the case of Microsoft, they don't own the studios and titles, so stuff like Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 comes out on competing systems eventually.

sascha23

You take your little Ride for the tween market and shove it up your ass!

i dont know why microsoft have bothered really i havent bought a tony hawks game since number 3 and am not gonna give up on skate pretty much however good it is.

bad move imo.

evilweevle

most online retailers for the UK ship from Jersey so can't see this working

Weasal

@UltimateIdiot - Imperfection at Best: nice thinking batman

@david78: the rock band 2 exclusivity deal was just by the fact the 360 version was done a lot sooner than the ps3 or wii versions so they might as well release it early.

ithyphallus

@Cenobite:
No no no. The problem is that this thing is too much like a real skateboard.

Still another day another stupid move by MS. That's not to say Sony and Nintendo don't do stupid things all the time either.

@MehGinla: I'm just waiting for the guy with the ghostbuster avatar to start complaing about how unfair this is.

@L1GHTN1N: I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for periodic exclusives!

MehGinla

@Rory Michael O'Sullivan: 360 isn't exactly region locked; most games are, true, but there are quite a few region free games out there.

That doesnt make any sense.

@Thriceborn: Same here. Peope here are acting like exclusives are a thing of this generation.

If anything this is the first gen where there are so little exclusives on two very similar consoles. They have always been a business move, they will always be. This is the way you differentiate your console and prove yourself to third parties.

Stop crying guys. Want a game that's not on your platform real bad? Want other games with it? Buy the other platform. That's the whole fucking point. Exclusives don't exist to make you whine about it on the internet, write petitions and fanboy-wish. They don't exist to "slap the other one in the face" or anything like that. It's to make you buy the other platform, that's it.

Tony Hawk Ride is still multiplatform according to a statement made by Activision. Just thought I would throw that out there

Ganglor

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? Tony hawks has always been a playstation game, so why is this happening, this is bullshit...

@flukielukie: I'd love to try it at a Gamestop or something before purchasing it... If it's really good (and cheap) I'll be all over it.

Tony Hawk Ride, seems like the type of game you buy because it's convenient, not the type of game you go out and buy a console for. So in other words this fails as an exclusive.

Flyhawk

@SiegWarheit: My thoughts exactly, seems like a pretty redundant exclusive if you ask me.

@fastpotato:
They really haven't thought this one through. Here in Britain our houses are generally smaller than the US, if they think we've got space to leap about on a plastic skateboard they're very much mistaken.

@flukielukie:

Thanks for those kind words flukie. Actually I am past my half-century, well past my fanboy years and have precious little growing up left to do.

Neither do I carry any banner for Sony.

But when it comes to legality in UK and Europe I do know what I am talking about. An outright exclusive across Europe would not fall foul of competition law (e.g. Ghostbusters) but a partial exclusive (as was rumoured to be the case with Tony Hawk) probably would. Certainly if it were as described it would warrant some serious investigation.

So 'idiot' and 'stupid' were probably a wee bit over the top.

phisheep

@phisheep: Idiot, saying that it's illegal will not make Sony look even better for stopping the 360 version of Ghostbusters from even being released in Europe.

Also, it isn't illegal at all. I think it's stupid but I guess it could make good business sense with a good advertising campaign the game could start selling just as well as the GH franchise again despite the fact that isn't the Tony Hawk's game that I know and love.

Just grow up and get past your fanboy years because it's making you say stupid things.

@Ricardo Freitas: Meh, you say it as if Sony didn't do it tactically, they made sure the whole of Europe doesn't get a 360 version of Ghostbusters but you BS it up and say they made sure it didn't get delayed yet it will be released in America at the same time.

Both companys are doing bad things, I want my Ghostbusters and PS3 owners want their Tony Hawks but they can have it thanks to it being region free.

@sander_dutch: Hey! I'm from the UK! I'm so angry, I've got to go ride my jet-powered Lemon Cat to the Moon just to calm down! Fribble!
*Joke*

@flukielukie: well you can think whatever you want but I don't think sony destroyed atari europe so that all the releases would get pushed back and then they could save theirs and let MS save their own too, great tactic! but hey, it's my BS! I shall keep it...

Ricardo Freitas

@Ghetto-Cornetto: Maybe, but it's also totally ineffective, apart from the fact that they may gave exclusive rights for advertising. Games stores will just buy from international distributers (you can't even call it an "import" in the common market), with no tax or declaration.

Kotakufan777

I remember the shit storm that came when the whole Ghostbuster thing was announce, in yet for this story... No one is bitching... Wow lol. :)