Once one of the more innovative franchises in gaming, the Tony Hawk series has seen a steady downturn in sales and popularity thanks largely to an overabundance of unnecessary sequels. This over-saturation helped pave the way for EA to produce Skate, which focuses on a more realistic take on the sport. But with a sequel due out soon, EA has plans to avoid the same fate as its predecessor.

"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],” associate producer Shaun Laker told MTV. "A big part of it too—and what drove our features this year—is we were finding out how people played the game," he added. "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."

Skate 2 will feature twice the amount of tricks as its predecessor, the ability to get off of your board and move around on foot, as well as a host of new customization/creation options and online features. However, with the game is being released just a year and half after the original, and with spin-offs recently hitting the Wii and DS, the series is on track to emulate Tony Hawk. Let's hope that subsequent sequels are given a little more breathing room.

Skate 2 will be available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on January 23, 2009.