Activision details skatebard controller

While Activision first unveiled the new skateboard peripheral for Tony Hawk: Ride last week, the publisher has been hesitant to actually detail how the wheel-less board might actually work. Until now, that is.

According to Kotaku, Activision thinks the skateboard peripheral will behave just like a real skateboard in many ways and will offer players the chance to feel like real skateboarders for the first time.

Discussing the details of the peripheral, Josh Tsui of developer Robomodo said that Tony Hawk: Ride will require only the board to play the game. Every trick and movement in the game is realised with the board, from steering to grabs.

While obviously without wheels, the board will also have a flat bottom to help new players balance, but steering will still be done by leaning left and right and the board will have rounded edges and raised ends to help facilitate this. Inside there are two accelerometers and four motion sensors which help track movement. The board will even be able to detect very fast moves - as proved by the fact that you can turn around on the spot by spinning the board 180 degrees.

Regarding the various in-game tricks, these will apparently be controller by sensors around the edges of the board that players will grab to initiate different tricks. Hunkering down and grabbing the nose of the board while leaning right, for example, might launch you into a Japan Air, while gripping the sides and shifting your weight forward may start a different grab. The only thing you can't do is actually jump the board, obviously.

As Kotaku points out then, all of this sounds like it could make for some fairly strenuous exercise for players - and a potentially dangerous health and safety situation for Activision if players end up tumbling by the dozen. Tell us what you think about the board in the forums.