Back in 1999, Activision had found unexpected success with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, a skateboarding game that let players ollie and kickflip to a killer pop-punk soundtrack. Kotick acquired the game’s developer, Neversoft, and they began producing new sequels every fall. Sales tapered off after a few years, and by the late 2000s fans were wondering why Tony Hawk’s name was attached to so many duds.
