i think the general public didnt like SKATE, the controls and complicated and the story has no appeal to people who aren't familiar with skateboarding.
tony hawk was more accessible and that THUG storyline was so good at the time. I'd like to the THUG story, you went pro, then did the world destruction tour and became a legend, then piled out and now has to make a comeback, and somehow ended up back on a team with eric sparrow whose also a washed up pro.
Keep the really tight control that the original games had. I have THPSHD the animations are off and it does not control as well as the older games. split screen I also liked tony hawks multiplayer a lot better.
i hope this pans out