Neversoft president Joel Jewett said that the Activision-owned development studio is no longer working on the “Tony Hawk” series, and is instead continuing to focus on the “Guitar Hero” franchise.

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In an interview posted yesterday, Neversoft president Joel Jewitt confirmed that his studio will not be making the next iteration in the “Tony Hawk” skating franchise.

“It’s probably best for the franchise … it’s time for someone else to add fresh ideas to it,” Jewett told the Great Falls Tribune.

As for which studio might be taking the reins for the “Tony Hawk” franchise, several months back Giantbomb.com reported a rumor that Robomodo, a new company including former EA Chicago staffers, was working on an unnamed title for Activision. The Robomodo website currently says that they’re “working on a high-profile extreme sports title for Activision Blizzard.”

Neversoft had worked on the “Tony Hawk” series since its inception in 1999, and took over the “Guitar Hero” franchise in 2006 after developer Harmonix was acquired by MTV Games. Many gamers have complained that the last few “Tony Hawk” titles have lost their luster.

And with Activision announcing at CES that “Guitar Hero III” has become the first single game ever to surpass $1 billion in sales, it would make sense that Neversoft would focus its efforts there.

[via Kotaku]

[Tony Hawk photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic]

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