Skate 3 rolling out May 11

Activision's reboot of the Tony Hawk franchise scrapped the standard controller in favor of a mandatory skateboard peripheral, much to the chagrin of reviewers. For those pining for the traditional gamepad-to-skate-deck feel, EA announced in September that it would be returning with its own skateboarding sim this May. Today, the publisher refined that release window, saying Skate 3 will be available in North America for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 11, with the international release to follow on May 14.

Developed by EA's Black Box studio, Skate 3 will emphasize team-based gameplay in offline modes, as well as online cooperative and competitive bouts. The game features the new Skate School training mode, as well as a Skate Park level editor that lets gamers create their own parks, as well as shoot videos and photos of their exploits.

Skate 3 also introduces a new locale, as Port Carverton replaces the first two installments' San Vanelona setting. As described by EA Black Box during GameSpot's most recent hands-on with Skate 3, Port Carverton is a "skater's paradise" that fully embraces the skater community--a departure from the sometimes hostile stance seen in San Vanelona. The city also features a number of locales that mimic iconic real-life locations.

EA also laid out Skate 3's full roster of skaters today, which is listed below.

Mark Appleyard
Ray Barbee
Joey Brezinski
Dennis Busenitz
John Cardiel
Mike Carroll
Chris Cole
Jason Dill
Dan Drehobl
Pat Duffy
Rob Dyrdek
Benny Fairfax
Ryan Gallant
Chris Haslam
Jerry Hsu
Josh Kalis
Terry Kennedy
Lizard King
Eric Koston
P.J. Ladd
Jason Lee (as Coach Frank)
Colin McKay
Darren Navarrette
Lucas Puig
John Rattray
Andrew Reynolds
Ryan Smith
Braydon Szafranski
Danny Way