Hawk, the elder pioneer who made most of his millions as an entrepreneur, is presently reaping benefits from sales of his 11th skate game: "Tony Hawk: Shred," released last October by Activision. More than 270,000 copies have been sold, according to the market research firm, The NPD Group.White, who has made three snowboarding videos with Ubisoft, is enjoying considerably less success with his debut skate game: "Shaun White Skateboarding," which has sold an estimated 120,000 copies.
Hawk, 42, thoroughly dominated vert skating in the 1990s -- in 1999 he became the first skateboarder to land a 900 during a competition. His incredible fame, however, comes from his line of video games, which have generated more than $1 billion for Activision.
"I think that my games are synonymous with skateboarding because they were the first ones to create the genre," Hawk told the Hollywood Reporter.
White the snowboarder dominates halfpipe competitions the way Hawk used to dominate vert ramp competitions. He's a two-time Olympic gold-medal winner and last week won his fourth consecutive Winter X Games competition.
White's snowboarding video games have sold more than three million copies and he apparently takes the same approach while helping to develop his games as he does in competition: seriously, but all in good fun.
"I still can't believe Ubisoft pays me to make video games," White, 24, told ESPN. White the skateboarder is an X Games gold medalist and one of the world's top vert skaters. His skateboarding game is the first in the action sports genre to be available in stereoscopic 3D on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
He told Hollywood Reporter: "Whether you're watching a 3D movie or playing a 3D game, this technology is exciting because it makes you actually feel like you're the only one there being a part of the action, and it sucks you into the experience."
In a sense Hawk has invaded White's turf. His "Shred" game includes skateboarding and snowboarding elements. "I've been snowboarding since before Shaun was born," Hawk said.
Of the game, which targets kids 6-12, he added: "We're moving into a more interactive mode of playing with the actual board peripheral. Players standing on the board become more immersed in the game."
Both skateboarders/entrepreneurs, who are friends, have something else in common: Hollywood aspirations. White will appear as himself in the comedy "Friends with Benefits," starring Mila Kunis Emma Stone and Justin Timberlake and scheduled for a summer release .
Hawk will star as himself in the skateboarding flick "Dream Seller" with Bam Margera, due to be released later this year.
-- Screen shots are from "Tony Hawk: Shred" and "Shaun White Skateboarding," respectively.
eric koston bucky lasek shaun white andy macdonald kelly slater
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