I really like how they represent skating. I like how they brought skating to a new level. In the past, the only fans of skating were skaters themselves. With the success of our games, people have learned to appreciate the sport without actually skating themselves. That's crucial to the longevity of our sport.
How realistic are the games? Do they reproduce the feel of actual skating?
It's as real as you want it to be. All the locations, riders and tricks are there.
The difference is that in real skating you can't fall off two-story drops and get up and do it again. There are combinations of tricks that you couldn't do in real life, but that's what's fun about it.
There have been many versions of your skating game. Which is your favorite?
To be honest, I always like the latest one because I feel we include the best of all the previous games. But I really enjoy our very first game because it was revolutionary. It created a genre in action sports.
How involved are you creatively in the development of the games?
Since the very first one, I play through every one. The developers send me updates of the game. I have a testing unit so I can play the games as they're being developed. I give them feedback the same day.
What are you working on now?
We're working on a new type of game, and I've been even more involved in this one than I have been in the last five games. It's a real departure for us. It's a whole new direction for us. And it's going to be way more realistic and way more interactive. I'm really proud of it. I can't tell you much more about it, except that it will come out in the fall of 2009.
How long have you been skating?
I started skating when I was about 10 years old.
It was in an alleyway. I picked up my brother's skateboard and stood on it. I started to roll down the alley, and I yelled at my brother asking him how I turn the thing. At the end of the alley, I just jumped off, picked up the board and physically turned it around. That's how it started.
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alex.pham@latimes.com
