While the initial release date was set for the end of March 2009, a press release has been released stating that the game is indeed now confirmed for January 21. While the only downside is that a lot of people are still going to be incredibly broke from the combination of the recent gaming season mixed together with the expenses of the holidays, I am still really happy that the game is going to be in my console so much sooner.... We can probably expect a demo to be releasing fairly soon then as well and considering that I got more playtime out of the original Skate's demo than some of my full titles, I can't wait. The creation tools, referred to as the "Graphics Creator" is going to allow gamers to create custom graphics to apply to their hats, shirts and decks through an online web-based application, allowing gamers to look far more unique than before. For anyone interested, here is the full press release: SKATE 2 HITS STORES JANUARY Satisfy the Skate Craving with the All-New Graphics Creator or Pre-order Now for Exclusive Access to the Throwback Pack

...– 25th November, 2008 – Black Box, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS) 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. Players that can’t wait until January can indulge their irrepressible Skate craving even sooner, with the Graphics Creator, a web-based customization tool launching next month on www.skate.ea.com. 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.... With this tool, gamers have the freedom to create custom graphics for their in-game hats, decks and shirts, infusing their skateboarding experience with an unrivaled level of individuality.... Skate 2 brings gamers to New San Vanelona, a city that’s been rebuilt after an unspeakable disaster five years ago. Equipped with double the bag of tricks, players are tasked to rebuild their career and revive the skate scene. Now with the ability to get off-board and move objects around, gamers can create their own epic spots and challenges which can then be uploaded, shared and experienced by others around the world. 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. Those that want to skate indoors over the holidays can enjoy Skate It with family and friends on the Wii™ and the Nintendo DS™ available in stores now.... More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press.

I love videos like these, they always remind me why I shouldn't bother trying to skate again. It's one thing to see gameplay videos and tech demos for a new game but it's a different story altogether when the video's sole purpose is to show you just how badly you can destroy your poor self in an upcoming game. The latest video for Skate 2 does just that and some of these bails had me cringing at the thought of experiencing a bail like that for real. Granted, I have a had a couple of real life bad ones before and the idea of leaving the bails to the videogame characters sits perfectly fine with me.

This latest trailer for Skate 2 gives us a bit of a look into the storyline for the game. Now I know you might be thinking that the story in Skate 2 is just about as important as the story in a pornography but after watching the video I was pretty impressed (with the trailer not the pornography). While the story is very light, I really like how the pro skaters have been integrated into the cut-scenes, with the voice work and animations looking pretty solid as well. This is just another reason that Skate 2 has so many people eagerly awaiting it's release and is showing just how important it was for the Tony Hawk development team to take some time off to renew the brand, because this is looking incredible, Skate 2 comes out at the end of March in 2009, so there is still a little bit of a wait. If you own the first skate then you can still break that out to get some practice and if you somehow missed that train, I suggest you go and pick up what is now a very cheap copy of the first Skate so that you can start perfecting those 360 flips.

Skate 2 is shaping up to be even more of a fantastic game than it's older brother. So, what would Skate be without a few pro skater's to run into (literally). This latest trailer shows clips of each pro skater in the game busting a sweet move and gives us the full roster of the faces that will be in the game. Skate 2 only ships next year but the excitement is already killing me.

This latest video of Skate 2 has just confirmed to me that I need this game with such immediacy that I may just book a plane ticket to the developers country so that I can steal some early code out of their office. Do they have HDTV's in jail? They do, right? Seriously now, the features for this game are looking absolutely incredible. Not only will your character now be able to get off of his board and walk, they have added the ability to move objects around, run out of failed attempts (as opposed to just falling flat on your face), hippie jumps, kicking your board away, running and jumping back onto your board, handplants, acid drops... heck, this game nearly has everything. I was very impressed with the first Skate due to the fact that it refreshed the entire genre and did things so differently. This video makes me realise how many great features it was actually still missing, so I cannot wait to waste hours and hours of my life away again, skating the streets and nailing some smooth lines. Skate 2 and Prison, here I come.