When a gaming company manages to churn out a hit franchise, we'd most probably think that they hit paydirt, like what Activision did when they came up with the Guitar Hero series of games. However, the benefits of coming up with a great title may be a bit of a bane as well.

According to analyst Mike Hickey from Janco Partners, the emerging competition resulting from Activision's Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk franchises may prove to be "damaging for growth prospects".

Of course, when talking about Guitar Hero's and Tony Hawk's competition, it can only mean Harmonix' Rock Band (for the Xbox 360, PS3) and EA's Skate (also for the Xbox 360 and PS3). Hickey said that Rock Band may prove to be a compelling option in the console music gaming genre, which may eventually mean trouble for Activision itself.

Hickey said that analysts are expecting the Guitar Hero series to develop and evolve with the addition of new music peripherals in the near future, which will help the franchise in staying afloat in the midst of competition.

It's time once again for GameStop's Deal of the Week, for the week ending October 4. This time Tony Hawk's Proving Ground by Activision is in the limelight with its US$ 5 discount for every pre-order. The discount is available for all versions of the game (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS).

Another big pre-order offer for this week is the extra 20% trade-in credit given for games traded in towards the reservation and/or purchase of Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy. That's a pretty nifty offer right there, handy when you're itching to get Mario's latest romp and don't have enough cash to nab it.

GameStop now also offers some exclusive Hellgate: London items along with every purchase of the game, for both the Collector's Edition and the Regular Edition. The free goodies are not to be scoffed at: a Hellgate poster, a customized armor kit, beta invitation, and even a Founder's Offer Subscription. If you missed out on the last Hellgate: London contest and the chance to get Hellgate goodies, then consider this your second chance.

As always with GameStop's weekly offers, there's much, much more in store for gamers (there's even something for Tabula Rasa fans), so just click on the above images for more information, or better yet, click on the Read link below.

A ton of info about the latest title in the Tony Hawk videogame franchise headed right for you in this video update of Activision's Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS). Get yourself up to speed and your wheels properly greased in this four-part developer walkthrough that's all about making a name for yourself.

In this video update, we get an eyeful of the game's exclusive features, from the deep character customization values to the even deeper video editing tool. We also get a sneak peak at some of the new skills you'll be able to pull off as you train yourself in the three disciplines of Skateboard-fu (namely Career, Rigger and Hardcore).

The Aggro Kick definitely looks awesome to pull off, and also quite hilariously violent. We wonder, then, how long would it be for people to post videos of their skaters bouncing random passersby around with it? Time will only tell.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is definitely looking like a worthy next-gen successor to the series. Enjoy the videos!

The rest of the videos after the jump!

For those of us itching to take Tony Hawk's latest next-gen title that's all about ripping up the city streets with your very own four-wheeled weapon of massive awesomeness, here's some very good news delivered in a form of a slick-looking gameplay trailer: the arrival of the Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS) demo this September. Righteous!

Although the trailer itself didn't pin down the demo's release to an exact date and time, it also gave away the features you'll be able to tinker around with in it. The available features include being Modifying The Environment, Nail The Grab, and the video editor system that pretty much puts you in complete control of your own skate video, from the camera angles to the soundtrack that'll be playing. Awesome.

Activision's Tony Hawk's Proving Ground certainly can't arrive any sooner. Enjoy the video!

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Xbox 360)]

Who'd have thunk it? Adam Yauch a.k.a. MCA of the Beastie Boys will be showing off his mad skateboarding skills (at least virtually) in Activision's upcoming skater game, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. He'll be one of the new faces that will grace the famous, if improbable, line up of bonus skaters for the game.

Included in this update is the complete soundtrack listing for Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, totalling a hefty 54 licensed songs all in all. Included in this list will be famous bands that play to the tune which has marked this high-velocity series, such as the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Slick Rick, and Jurassic 5.

Activision also announced an added bonus for those getting the Xbox 360 version of the game. The game will include a five song demo of "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." While the demo will be available soon on the Xbox Live, this is definitely a freebie that will be hard to pass up on.

Developed by Neversoft, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is scheduled for release during the last quarter of this year. It will be coming out for the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Nintendo DS and Wii.

Check out the complete list of songs and their respective artists right after the jump!

The Tony Hawk line of skating games is one of the best-selling electronic entertainment franchises in history. With sequel after sequel piling up, one has to wonder if there are any treats left in the bag for upcoming Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Tony Hawk answers that in this Gamespot interview during the Leipzig Games Convention. Check it out:

If you've been listening to the man, you'd know that emphasis has been placed into this iteration's career mode as well as its controls. Analog sticks will be used to control arms, making tricks more realistic and opening up countless possibilities. The career mode, on the other hand, will offer countless customization options and a non-linear path to stardom. Styles will definitely matter as you custom-build your athlete and get him primed for the extreme.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground will be released later this year by Activision on the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. Neversoft has been tapped to mold the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, while other firms are handling the Nintendo platforms.

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Xbox 360)]

Straight from this year's GC come eight brand new screenshots of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii), the latest iteration of the popular video game franchise.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is being touted as the largest and deepest game in the franchise to date. The action is set in the streets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., where players can choose to become Career Athletes, Hardcore Skaters or Riggers depending on the choices they make.

The game also features deeper customization than ever before. New customization features include a full-featured video editor and a completely customizable online Skate Lounge. Here's hoping that the game's skater customization feature itself will also be deeper than the one in Project 8 (PlayStation 3, Xbox360).

Neversoft is currently working on the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. The game should make it to retail this fall. Click on the Full Article link for the screenshots.

Check out all the PS3 and Xbox 360 screenshots behind the Full Article link!

Activision is dead set on taking the skateboarding genre to the next level with Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii). Not only will there be cool new features like a fully functional video editor and customizable skate pad that you can show off to your friends online, but the core game also offers a story for all kinds of skaters - pro, hardcore, and street skaters.

In this video, Chad Findley walks us through the path of a career skater. Like the name implies, players who'll chose this option will have to take on the challenges of going pro. Following stories inspired by real skaters, you'll be taking the shoes of an upcoming star in his rise to fame. This means you'll be learning from the basics, and will have access to full skater control.

Proving Ground aims to reach new heights by putting realism up a notch - players will be able to control their skater's feet or hands completely with sticks. If you choose to go pro, you'll be doing these a lot to create your own tricks for magazines. Find out what we're talking about by watching the video below.

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Wii)]

Any self-respecting skate fan should know Rodney Mullen, widely known as the godfather of skateboarding. One would guess that someone branded as "godfather" is old by now, but this guy who invented the Ollie, Kickflip, Heelflip, 360 flip, and the Impossible is still very much up and kicking. As we anticipate Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii), here's Mullen on his influence in Tony Hawk games and what he thinks of the genre it created.

Along with Arto Saari, the two discuss about how Pro Skater games allow even the best to do insane tricks they could only dream of. Mullen, king of the flat-ground, admitted that some moves are difficult to nail down. Still, he wants that sense of difficulty and realism in skating games - something that will actually teach enthusiasts how to do the real thing.

Find Mullen talking about his experiences, growing old, and other interesting tidbits from the interview below.

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Wii)]

We've got a new trailer on the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 versions of Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. The video not only talks about the awesome-looking up-and-coming title from Activision, but also reveals a lot about how Neversoft started the franchise and does its stuff. Be warned that some words may not be appropriate for all ages, so do it with caution if you're sensitive about it.

Neversoft takes the liberty of giving us a walkthrough on the project so here we go:

The Tony Hawk series is one of the most commercially successful boarding franchises of all time, racking up millions in sales in each of its nine iterations and two spin-offs. Quality and innovation has defined the title, and fans have grown to respect it from across all platforms.

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3)]
Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Xbox 360)]