EA’s Full Circle studio has shared a new development diary for Skate, with the team wanting the game to become a place of “musical discovery”.
Described as the “next evolution” of the Skate franchise, Full Circle’s upcoming free-to-play massively multiplayer game has been designed to “speak to both seasoned players and newcomers alike,“ according to head of creative James Seamaster continued:
Speaking as part of the new development diary, he explained that when Full Circle first started developing the new Skate title, they had two goals in mind. “We wanted to build upon everything fans already love about our unique gameplay and connection to skate culture, and invite new players to the world of skate and skateboarding.”
This includes a reworked Flick-It trick system which will ensure “every trick feels more fun and satisfying to perform than ever before” while the city of San Vansterdam has its own “weird, rich history and lore” with developers taking inspiration from San Vanelona and Port Carverton. Self-expression is also “core” to Skate, with a number of options for players to customise their character.
Developers are also working on a variety of “social features” to improve opportunities for multiplayer gaming. Skate is also set to launch for PC as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, with cross-play also available for all. “We believe Skate is for everyone” explained executive producer Mike McCarthy.
”There’s no Skate without music,” explained audio director Matthew Smith. “Music has always been such an integral part of skateboarding culture, from getting you in the zone to bringing groups of people together for a shared experience so we’re curating a soundtrack you’ll love, but won’t remain static either,” he added. “It’ll keep evolving over time.”
“We want San Van to be a world of music discovery, where you can come and discover new artists and genres just by skating around the city,” Smith explained, with different districts having their own unique soundtracks. “We want to create a world where everyone can really feel at home and like they belong,” he added.
“We’re building a game that can live, grow and evolve over many years,” Salomé Diea, head of product management, continued.
While a release date for Skate has yet to be confirmed, Full Circle’s general manager Dan McCulloch said news was “getting closer”, with the studio set to increase the number of Skate playtesters in the coming months.
In other news, Zynga Inc. has confirmed the release date for Mobile puzzler Game Of Thrones: Legends.