New Tony Hawk games expected to ship with skateboard peripheral

Activision is expected to ship a skateboard peripheral alongside the next Tony Hawk titles, due for release in 2009.

That's according to analyst Doug Creutz of Cowan and Company, who believes the addition of new products will help the series improve sales after a year away from the market.

"We believe that the extra year of development time and the opportunity for consumers to shake off franchise fatigue could contribute to better unit sales than the franchise has enjoyed in recent years," wrote Creutz in his latest note to investors.

"We also view it as highly likely that the game will include some sort of skateboard peripheral with all SKUs when it ships, given the massive success (and higher price points and profitability) of Activision Blizzard's Guitar Hero franchise."

Peripherals have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, with the high price of games such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Wii Fit seemingly no problem for consumers looking for pick-up-and-play gaming experiences.