Activision reportedly rejected Tony Hawk's offer for 3 + 4, preferring Vicarious Visions to serve as a Call of Duty support studio.
A new video by video game historian Liam Robertson claims that a proposal for a second remake collection was created following the huge success of the first remake.
Originally, the first remake, Tony Hawk's Pro Skate 1 + 2, was going to include 3 + 4, similar to the first game.
“We decided to add some control features from later games to reflect the way people remember the old Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games. It seemed ingrained in the memory of the first 2,” one Vicarious Visions official claimed to Robertson.
“Eventually, it became clear that we didn't have time for anything other than 1 + 2, so the idea of continuing and releasing 3 + 4 in some form was explored.”
Following the commercial and critical success of the first remake, a proposal for Tony Hawk's 3+4 was submitted to Activision, but it is claimed that this was rejected.
Activision has reportedly endorsed Vicarious Visions to back Activision's flagship series Call of Duty. Vicarious Visions also helped develop the Diablo 2 remake.
Tony Hawk claimed in 2022 that a second remake was planned until Vicarious Visions was fully acquired by Activision.
“That was the plan up until the release date.” [1 and 2]” Hawk said. “We were doing 3 and 4, and Vicarious kind of fell into it, and then they were looking for other developers, and that was it.”
He added: [Activision] They were trying to find someone to do 3 and 4, but they didn't really trust anyone like they did with Vicarious.
“So they took suggestions from other studios saying, 'What do we do with the THPS title?'” And they didn't like what they heard, and that was it.
“You know? Maybe when the problem is solved we'll find out. You never know. I never thought I'd be doing 1 and 2 20 years later.”
Activision Blizzard announced plans to integrate Vicarious Visions into Blizzard as a support team in January 2021, and the merger became official this April of 2022.
