Session: Skate Sim News

[h2]COMMENTS FROM THE STUDIO[/h2]

Hey Folks,

In this DevBlog we’ll provide high level updates on where the studio, team, and ultimately Session: Skate Sim are heading.

[h2]Since the last update[/h2]

In May, we were thrilled to release our first DLC bundle, "Chris Cole & the Abandoned Waterpark" and the response from the community was very positive.

Since then, our team has been working tirelessly on our next exciting update - the Session X TMNT collaboration.

As self-proclaimed 90s kids, the opportunity to bring the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into the world of Session was like a dream come true - one we couldn't pass up for anything in the world. And now, the moment has arrived, and we are thrilled to announce that the TMNT collaboration is available for download as a free update!!!

We can't wait for you to dive into this thrilling experience and join our heroes on an unforgettable journey in the world of Session. So grab your gear and get ready to embrace the ninja power! Cowabunga! 



[h3]TMNT Content included in the update:[/h3]

- Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael have joined the session roster

- Hard Goods - Decks & Griptape



- Soft Goods - Apparel



- Camera Lens → TMNT
TMNT Lens: - Changing the Camera Model in the Options Menu to → “TMNT” will add the distinct artistic signature of TMNT: Mutant Mayhem to Session: Skate Sim

- Replay Editor filter –TMNT
When editing replays as a turtle, with the TMNT camera model active, the Replay editor will become TMNT branded:



- Sewer Map - fun and innovative skate spots are the bread and butter of session - welcome to the NYC sewers…while the content is free, you need to do some NYC leg work to find the map BEFORE it becomes available through the transit system. Check the transit images for a hint on where to go!



[h2]General de-bug & Fixes:[/h2]
- Mission Log status saved on reboot: “Untracked” missions previously became “Tracked” in the Mission Log on a reboot - this is fixed and track status is now persistent
- Scoop speed control
We have added the ability to dictate the speed of scooped tricks by managing the relative speed of the scoop input. Therefore a slow scoop on a shuv-it will lead to a slow shuv, and vice versa. Arc-length has now been cut as a scoop input method.
- Board pitch in Manual board control is dictated by the angle of the trick input and is now maintained for the duration of the trick - helping in landing orientation for grinds, manuals, and landing in banks!
- Board flip offset adjustments - Board position under player has been improved - as shared by Donovan on Instagram
- Camera - Fisheye camera lens has been revamped to improve granularity and improve fidelity.
- Other general debug fixes…

Skateshop content:
- Bug fixes on apparel
- Suck clothing integrated

Audio:
- Improved audio on manuals & kick turns
- Board flipping feature - dependent on rolling speed and flip speed
- Tweaked board breaking heights
- Added option to toggle flatspot audio
- Updated foot grip-tape sliding sfx for most tricks
- Added more wood scuff sound on pressure flips
- Split landing impact sounds so some follow the skater and some stay at the location of impact

[h2]What’s Next:[/h2]
We continue to build our team here at crea-ture studios, and over the last month we have increased 36% in size!!!!

Onboarding our new team members and integrating them into the studio, and project, is our priority. Once we have everyone grounded we can look at how, and where, they can contribute in a meaningful and impactful way for the players!

Here are the roles we’re onboarding:

● HR Director - Will be key to helping improve our studios presence in the market and driving recruiting

● Animator - Support for Session is a priority, but so is assuring programming support for animation additions / improvements!

● QA Lead - Driving the building and structuring of our QA team to ensure we continue to focus on quality and improvements for our core player base, a great addition to JL’s contribution in the QA domain to date.

● Art Director - A critical addition to ensure we’re sticking to our vision and building on what we have for both Session & the future.

Finally - we’ve been fielding a lot of questions on our social channels regarding Switch production. We’re happy to announce that there will be a Switch update including all of our updates for launch, and our DLC, closer to the year’s end.

Finally, Recruitment at crea-ture studios continues & Open positions can be found at https://www.crea-turestudios.com/careers/

Peace,

The Crea-ture team!

[h2]COMMENTS FROM THE STUDIO[/h2]
Hey Folks,

It’s been 4 weeks since our last PC specific update, and we’re already back!

It’s finally time to announce our May update and our first full standalone DLC bundle, included within our next Title Update, so here it is…

This DLC bundle welcomes pro skateboarder Chris "Cobra" Cole to the Session lineup and includes updated gear from sponsors Fallen, Spitfire, and Zero. Additionally, the DLC presents the Crea-ture Waterpark, the first map not set in a city location or skate park alongside six new missions featuring Chris Cole, four of which take place on the new map. Players can also look forward to six exclusive "DIY" assets and five Chris Cole Zero deck designs in the skateshop.

[h2]Watch the Waterpark & Chris Cole DLC Trailer[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]DLC Content[/h2]
[h3]Pro Skater[/h3]

• Chris “Cobra” Cole officially joins the Session: Skate Sim roster
  
  • Sponsors in game - Fallen, Spitfire, Zero, Liquid Death

Adding Chris to Session is huge for us here at Crea-ture studios. His influence on the industry, and each of us as skaters is irrefutable. Whether you were picking up a board in the 90s, or 2020s, Chris’ presence has been consistent. He is one of the few skaters to have won Thrashers Skater of the year two times!!

[h3]Map[/h3]

• The Abandoned Waterpark is our first map outside of a city spot or Skate park
  
• The waterpark has an interesting combination of steep slopes with lots of speed, big gaps, and risky spots. However it’s not all that makes up this terrain. Take the time to shred the lazy river, or skate one of the awesome parking lot banks!

[h3]Missions[/h3]

• Play 6 new missions with Chris Cole - including 4 in our all new DLC map!

[h3]Object Dropper Assets[/h3]

• 6 Unique “DIY” assets

[h3]SkateShop content[/h3]

• 5 Chris Cole Zero Deck Graphics

[h2]What's Next:[/h2]
We continue to crack away at our Q3 & Q4 Roadmap for this Summer. The Roadmap relies fully on our capacity to output asd a team, and we’re still looking to add some key roles before we can lock down the plan. However, keeping aligned with players, and growing Session, continues to be our main focus! If you know anyone out there who would be the perfect fit for our team - do share!

Recruitment at crea-ture studios continues & Open positions can be found at https://www.crea-turestudios.com/careers/

Peace,
The Crea-ture team!

[h2]COMMENTS FROM THE STUDIO[/h2]

Hey Folks,

It’s the last week of April and we’ve delivered the last of our 3 PC specific updates!

It’s already been a busy start to spring for our remote team. We’ve recently welcomed our newest addition, and well known community member, JL Nightmare to the Crea-ture Studios roster. JL brings 5+ years of session experience to kick start our Quality Assurance team. If you’ve checked out any of his videos you’ll know how detailed he is!

That brings us to 11 employees here at Crea-ture as we continue to look for the right candidates for our team.

Recruiting continues to be our biggest priority as we work on staffing key roles for Session & the future…but let’s get to this quick PC1.3 update, because we’re already flying towards the upcoming DLC1 release this May.

[h2]Since the last update[/h2]
PC1.3 drops today and includes the following updates, all of which will be included for free in our next platform wide updates!

[h2]PC1.3:[/h2]
Accessories System

• Implementation of core system for player accessories

Board Breaking

• Added an Option slider added to +/- probability of board breaking when On
  
• Updated graphics on certain board sizes

Bug Fixes

• Player HUD UI tracking on mission completion fixed
  
• Historical challenge fixes (x13)
  
• Skateshop skinning bugs
  
• Various world collision fixes

Audio Fixes

• Improved flatspot values
  
• Reduced truck squeaking
  
• Slight increase in catch sfx volume

Miscellaneous

• Crea-ture park added to Transit system

[h2]Skateshop content:[/h2]
Accessories: Glasses were added as the first accessory to drop


The following brands have also updated their Skateshop deck graphics:

• DGK
  
• Meow
  
  • Samarria’s Pro Model updated!
• Thankyou
  
• Flip
  
• Welcome

[h2]What’s Next:[/h2]
Beyond these quick updates we’ve been working on future world content & features, with more info to come on our Q3 & Q4 Roadmap this Summer. The Roadmap continues to be a living document as we grow and adapt to our latest opportunities. Keeping aligned with players, and growing Session, continues to be our main focus!

DLC1 release dates to be confirmed soon - Keep an eye on our Social channels and Steam page for these dates along with future Dev Blogs...

Finally, Recruitment at crea-ture studios continues & Open positions can be found at https://www.crea-turestudios.com/careers/

Peace,

The Crea-ture team!

[h2]COMMENTS FROM THE STUDIO[/h2]

Hey Folks,

We’ve officially hit Spring here in Montreal, and there is a buzz of excitement on the team as we get ready for our upcoming releases and finally some outdoor skating!

We’re also happy to share that Donovan is continuing on his road to recovery and he’s been back to pumping out awesome content on the regular. Our latest board breaking clips have surpassed our unique viewer counts on any social clip to date…and we’re just getting started, so it’s not just us that’s buzzing!

We’re also super sad to see the latest news changes in the industry, and couldn’t believe what we were reading regarding our favorite teams and riders. If we know one thing though, it's that when skaters slam they get right back up! We’re excited to see what new growth will come out of these changes!

[h2]Since the last update[/h2]
Session production has been moving along at full speed. We released our first PC update, PC1.1, in February and we’re stoked to see that the new onboarding and general accessibility changes have had a positive impact for players. The release of PC1.1 and subsequent deliverables made the last month a hectic time!

PC1.2 drops today and includes some fun updates that the team is excited to share, so let's get to it.

All of the following will also be included for free in our next platform wide updates!

[h2]PC1.2:[/h2]
Board Breaking

• Board breaking is being released in the Experimental menu for this update, and is turned Off by Default.
  
• Is functional in gameplay and in the Replay Editor!
  
• When turned ON - the system tracks several factors:
  
• Wear & Tear (On & Off)
  
• When set to “Off” the likelihood of breaks < drastically
  
• Drop height
  
• Landing angle
  
• Landing on any slope < chances of breaking on big drops

Broken Board Video: https://youtu.be/hkNqOgYsy98
Broken on Rail: https://youtube.com/shorts/q_1E4FfKQZU


Audio Updates

• Catch SFX integration - the player now plays catch audio on any trick with player & board separation

Board Stacked Video: https://youtube.com/shorts/VyhqfMu0eGQ

• Reverb tweaks
  
• Volume & attenuation adjustments
  
• Flat spot probability decreased

[h3]PC1.2 Content[/h3]
Object Dropper Assets:

Stacked Decks Available in 3/4/5 deck combos

Kicker Ramp

[h2]Skateshop content[/h2]

We’re excited to experiment with the more fun side of skating - the addition of costumes to the skate shop will give us some fun opportunities moving forward. Welcome to Session @LiquidDeath!

Available in the skate shop now - grab your in game wallets $$$

Costume - Liquid Death
Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Tc4tzIwMq3Q


Panda Head!

Bucket Hat

Brimmed Beanie

Beyond the fun content, feature updates, and long term planning, we’re setting the design and tech foundations for further improvements and additions. As stated last month, the Roadmap is still evolving as we grow and define our next steps, but keeping aligned with players and growing Session is our main focus!

Clearing our Experimental menu features into full release features, as well as core gameplay fixes, are on there too!

[h2]What’s Next:[/h2]

Recruitment at crea-ture studios continues.

Open positions can be found at https://www.crea-turestudios.com/careers/

Keep an eye on our Social channels and Steam page for future updates and Dev Blogs, including an updated roadmap...

Peace,
The crea-ture team!