10 GENIUS Ways Video Games Hide Load Times
8. Intro Movie - Tony Hawk's Project 8 (2006)
Being a series named after a real-life sports personality, it's not surprising that the Tony Hawk games regularly feature extensive live action footage of skateboarders showing off their sick flips. The first instalment in the Pro Skater series included a reel of these just before the game's main menu, and 2006's Project 8 does much the same - though with a couple of intriguing twists.
Obviously, the first change you'll notice is that this video is fully computer-generated, with Tony Hawk and others represented in the style of the game's graphics.
More interestingly, however, is how, on the PS3 version, this cinematic plays the first time you insert the disc into the console. This may seem like just a nice little way of acclimatising you to the game's atmosphere, but what it's actually doing is hiding part of the installation process - a loading screen you almost always dread seeing.
As soon as it's over, the game is fully installed, and you're good to go! How painless was that?