Now that we’ve seen what Tony Hawk has to offer in the world of skateboarding games (answer: a large bag of awful), it’s EA’s turn to put even more distance between their excellent Skate franchise and Activision’s barely-animated corpse of a series.  As such, EA has issued a press release announcing the launch of Skate 3 on May 11 in North America, and May 14 everywhere else.

Both of the previous Skate games have been impressive efforts, though not entirely without flaws.  While Skate 2 fixed some of the first game’s bugs and added many of the features that players wanted, there were still issues with environmental design, as well as a feeling of being held back from fully exploring the city.  There were also the walking mechanics, which were downright dreadful.  EA and Black Box have promised that Skate 3 will fix these issues with a new walking system, an entirely new city built with skating in mind, and game modes that focus on fun.  In addition, Skate 3 is putting a heavy focus on team building, allowing players to put together online skate teams, team logos, and even team skateparks, creating a more community-based environment for everyone.

The press release also lists the roster of pro skaters that will appear in Skate 3.  Among them is Andrew Reynolds, a skating legend who has appeared exclusively in Tony Hawk games since 2000.  Not only is the Skate franchise stealing players away from Tony Hawk, it’s now stealing away skaters.  We’ll have to wait and see just how long it takes Tony himself to jump ship.

Press release follows

TEAM UP AND THROW DOWN IN SKATE 3 ON MAY 14th

The Ultimate Cooperative Skateboarding Game Takes Players to a True Skater's Paradise

Guildford, UK. – March 17, 2010 – Black Box, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that SKATE™ 3, the latest installment in the award-winning franchise, will be in stores in the UK on May14th, 2010. Redefining the skateboarding experience, SKATE 3 breaks new ground by letting gamers build their ultimate skate team both offline and co-operatively* to take on new challenges or competitive battles against other teams.

“Since the very beginning of the Skate franchise, we have captured the true essence skateboarding, be it from the feel of nailing that perfect trick, to the feeling of just hanging out and sessioning with your friends,” said Jason DeLong, Senior Producer. “For us, SKATE 3 is the culmination of this endeavor – the most connected, accessible and social skateboarding experience yet.”

In the all-new Skate.School, Coach Frank acts as a mentor and teaches newcomers the ropes by showing them all the ins-and-outs of skateboarding as they hone their skills on the sticks before hitting the streets with their team. Veterans will also feel right at home in Skate.School as they refresh their skills but also learn all the new tricks SKATE 3 has to offer including darkslides and underflips.

Gamers can hit the streets with the pros in the all-new city of Port Caverton – a true skater’s paradise with unique districts, skate parks, and endless lines. For fans with a creative flair, the new Skate.Park editor allows gamers to create their own dream plaza or mega-ramp park from scratch or use the Object Dropper to alter the landscape of Port Carverton to truly change the face of the city. In the end, SKATE 3 delivers a completely immersive and connected experience giving gamers the tools to build and share their own skate parks, videos, and photos with all their friends by uploading them directly from their console or importing custom created graphics & logos from the Skate website*.

SKATE 3 features a deep roster of the world’s greatest skaters including several Thrasher Skater of the Year winners. 

Andrew Reynolds, John Cardiel, Benny Fairfax

John Rattray, Braydon Szafranski, Josh Kalis

Chris Cole, Lizard King, Chris Haslam

Lucas Puig, Colin McKay, Mark Appleyard

Dan Drehobl, Mike Carroll, Danny Way

P.J. Ladd, Darren Navarrette, Pat Duffy

Dennis Busenitz, Ray Barbee, Eric Koston

Rob Dyrdek, Jason Dill, Ryan Gallant

Joey Brezinski, Jerry Hsu, Terry Kennedy

and Jason Lee (as coach Frank)

SKATE 3 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and “16+” by PEGI. More information can be found at www.skate.ea.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/skate, or follow us on Twitter @ Hippyjump.