The relatively dismal performance of Tony Hawk Shred hasn’t put a damper on Activision’s plans for the long-running franchise. Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg equates the staying power of this professional skateboarder to that of Michael Jordan in a recent interview:

The one question that I can answer, and remarkably so, is that Tony Hawk does really still have relevance and tremendous appeal for people. He is a lasting icon. He has that Michael Jordan-ish or Jordan-esque staying power, seemingly. And that doesn’t mean that other great skaters haven’t come up who are younger and more current, but he really is that kind of Mount Rushmore-level guy in that category, so that’s not the issue. I think we have to ask all the smart questions and make some smart moves in terms of innovation to see if we can recapture people’s imaginations.

Further, Hirshberg conceded that were some “technical problems” with the board peripheral in the last THPS entry — Ride, calling it a side-effect of innovation. Although Activision remains hopeful that Shred sales will pick up long-tail, it’s clear that significant changes are in store to return this franchise to its former glory. It seems the freshness factor is still in need of serious refinement.

Activision: Tony Hawk Still Has Michael Jordan Type Staying Power [IndustryGamers]

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