Speaking with the LA Times, skateboard legend insists that the next boarding title from to include his name will be a far cry from the mediocre Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.

Apparently, the new Hawk game will be released in the autumn of 2009, and will mark a "whole new direction" for the long-running series.

Apparently, the skater has been "more involved in this one than I have been in the last five games," with a "new type of game" promised.

We've no word on who is developing this new opus, although Guitar Hero-makers Neversoft were at the helm previously. Also, with Hawk assuring that the game's controls will be "way more realistic and way more interactive," we're lead to believe a new dedicated controller could en route.

Activision did of course hit the big time with guitar peripherals for Guitar Hero, so some kind of motion-based skateboard seems highly plausible.

More on this gossip as we get it.

By Luke Guttridge