I thought that Electronic Arts wasn’t going to do this, but it looks like the “Skate” series is turning into a yearly thing, which isn’t a move that I condole – I’ll talk more about that later. Anyway, Electronic Arts announced the third installment into their “Skate” franchise, Skate 3. And, unlike the first two games, Skate 3 centers more around forming a skate crew and taking on rival crews.

Scheduled to release in May 2010, “players can now team up with one an other to build the ultimate skate crew in the definitive skateboarding co-op experience” – reads the press release. In a move to depart from the past Skate titles, Skate 3 lets players leave their mark on the all-new skater’s paradise, Port Carverton. “We’re giving gamers a very unique experience by providing them with the tools they need to build their ultimate team or to create a team comprised entirely of their online friends. From there, it’s all about proving yourself – teaming up, and throwing down,” added Senior Producer, Jason DeLong.

Featuring an all-new co-op mode in where teammates can complete challenges together while advancing each other’s careers, the game will retain some of the classic features the rewarding epic bails and fails with a beefed up Hall of Meat mode to honing your craft with the all-new skate.School, in were players of all skill levels have multiple ways to “kill it” in the game. The franchise also continues to raise the bar for user created content with the skate.Create feature suite, an innovative toolset that empowers gamers to truly express their skate style by creating their own graphics, videos, and skate parks. Being developed by Black Box, an Electronic Arts studio, Skate 3 will be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2010.

When releasing a new Tony Hawk title nine years in a row, Activision took 2008 off to institute calling it a part of their ‘innovation plan’ for there Tony Hawk series. But, ever since then they have been very ‘no talk’ on the title, but, boy, does time pass and now it seems that we finally get new – rumored – details on the next Tony Hawk title.

When speaking to Variety’s The Cut Scene blog, two anonymous sources, who have reportedly have seen the game first-hand, said that the next Tony Hawk title will abandon controllers altogether, but instead it will be using ‘board-like’ peripheral, which sounds alot like what the Wii’s Balance Board did in Skate it for the Wii.

These sources say that the game will not be so much about requiring precise balancing, but the focus will be more on “grabbing and manipulating the board” to perform tricks. They also say that the Wii version will be getting a Board also, instead of the the Wii’s Balance Board.

These sources also corroborated the rumor that Robomodo – a new development studio primarily formed by ex-members of EA Chicago – are developing both the game and making the new peripheral.

In 2007, EA’s Skate had proven itself to be a true competitor for Activision’s popular and long-running skate series, Tony Hawk, but what does this year hold for the title? Can EA and Black Box once again claim the crown for best skating title ever made?

Well, it looks like we are going to have to wait and see, but lucky we do not have to wait that long because according to Microsoft’s Xbox site, a Skate 2 demo will be available come January 8 via the “Download & Win” program, which is a sweepstake.

There are two ways to register for this Sweepstakes. Registering online before the close of the Promotion Period, which is between 3:01 A.M. ET on January 8 and 11:55 P.M. ET on January 15, 2009, or register for the Sweepstakes via Xbox LIVE Marketplace by downloading the free Skate 2 Demo Registration Gamer Picture. Sadly there is still no word on the PlayStation demo.

Before you start reading please take note that the story has been updated below.

Independently, Black Box Studio was a great studio that produced many great games for one of the industry dominant publishers, EA – which is also a developer. There was a rumor going around that the company had plans to close Black Box Studios because they were having some financial problems.

Now, Black box Studio, responsible for the Need for Speed and the Skate franchises, has officially been given the boot. It was said that the games that EA released this holiday, like Mirrors Edge, Dead Space and Need of Speed, didn’t sell as well as they planned.

“Shutting down the studio is part of EA’s restructuring plan that hopes to save them US$ 120 million in annual costs. Part of the plan is to reduce their overall workforce by 10%, or 1,000 people.” said the press release. There was no word given on if the studios upcoming game Skate 2 has been affected.

[EA has officially closed Need for Speed Studio Black Box via Slice Gaming]

Updated: We had a chance to speak to an EA spokesperson and according to them, “Black box studios is not closed. It is going to relocate to [EA's] Burnaby facility in June 2009.”

As Electronic Arts and Black Box finish work on Skate 2 they will need to stop and think about where their title is going. That is why, the game’s associate producer for environments, Shaun Laker, told MTV how they’re planning to avoid the “Tony Hawk syndrome.”

“As long as we keep putting out great games and don’t rush it out and polish it and make sure we’re listening to the community and hearing what they’re having to say [we will avoid that],” said Laker.

“A big part of it too — and what drove our features this year — is we were finding out how people played the game. We know people play the game to find their own spot and to own it to be able to call it their own. This year, you can go and do that, and in a community, you can share it. That’s how we stay fresh and we don’t go too far; we listen to the community and know what they’re asking for and respond to that.”

We all have dreams, and sometimes they can be a bit crazy, but what is the influence behind the kick and push game Skate 2? In an interview with G4 Patrick Duffy, a pro skater at EA’s Skate 2 event, was asked what “influence did [he] have on Skate 2?” He returned with an answer saying:

“All the skaters, myself included, had some input on what the storyline should be, where we should go, what San Vanelona should look like now, and all that. It all came together pretty awesome, I think, you know what I mean? The whole premise is that the city is dilapidated and skating is outlawed. Most of the skaters are in jail. It’s up to you to come back up and make skating cool again!”

I know the “crazy dreams” thing doesn’t make much sense to you right now, but here’s a better look into it.

The reporter in reaction says, “storyline was taken from crazy dreams you guys had?” Duffy says, “it was a collaboration — a brainstorm that combined everyone’s dream.” Then the reporter returns saying, “the storyline is from a lot of people’s drunken dreams about skateboarding?” And Duffy comes back saying, “Exactly, but it wasn’t just dreams. It was drunken realities too.”

Lets face it when it comes to Skating games Skate, altogether, is the best over all, even the early hands-on reports of Skate 2 it was called better then the last. It’s even keeping Tony Hawk under a rock because he hasn’t shown his head since Project 8. EA has also reported that the game has outsold Tony Hawk 2:1 – more like 3:1 now – in a fisical year report. Anyway, Black Box has finally revealed the official release date for Skate 2.

Black Box, an Electronic Arts announced today that Skate 2, the sequel to the genre-defining original game will hit retailers in North America on January 21st, 2009 and worldwide on January 23rd, 2009 – making it one of the first must-have games of 2009. For those in North America anxious to shred the streets in blaring style can pre-order now for an exclusive code to unlock the Throwback Pack, a special upgrade pack that includes retro clothing, accessories and gestures.

Skate 2 ups the ante in delivering all the grit, creativity and culture of skateboarding with all-new tricks that allow players to truly skate it their way – on and off the board. Skate 2 is developed by Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia and will be available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

[Video Gallery For Skate 2 At TestFreaks]

Wii owners may not be able to play Stake 2 to on the Wii, but yet the more they can still Skate it up with skill. Today, in a press release EA Montreal released the North American and European release dates for both Skate It on the Wii and DS. The press release revealed that Skate It will be hitting retail stores on November 19th in North America and November 20th in Europe. The game was recently announced to integrate the optional use of the Wii Balance Boardand, which adds to the realism, go figure.

Not so along EGM unveiled the first images of Skate 2, which happens to be their latest issue. Today, we discovered the first trailer for the second version of hit series Skate simply entitle Skate 2, which is scheduled on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime this year. There’s much going on in this trailer, as you can see, in the trailer there’s are new version of a playable character, a female. If your like me and you’re yet to seen a female skater maybe it’s a calling for us to search and find one because in the trailer she was really kicking things up.

Today,EA have released two new trailers for Skate 2. With no real gameplay, but it is a discussion with some of the most elite skaters in the world regarding the man of the party of Skate. The second video, they talk about how the best skate spots can become your biggest downfall when big operation start to move in and take over the spot .

Shortly after you won Skater of the Year, your character disappeared. No one knows what happened to him, but the skaters of San Vanelona hope he’ll come back. And they need you. In the past five years, the cops have cracked down on skaters. Caps were put on rails to make it almost impossible to grind and "No Skating" signs are everywhere.

San Vanelona was once a paradise for skaters. Now it’s their worst nightmare.

[Skate 2 Leaps Forward Five Years via IGN]