Skate is back! But Skate has come a long, long way since EA announced its return to low-angle kickflip sims last year. And now that the publisher has announced a new Skate development team, Full Circle, we at least know who will be making Skate.

Led by former Xbox Live General Manager Daniel McCulloch, Full Circle is EA's new Vancouver-based Skate studio. Creative leadership of the series was given to Deran Chun and Chris "Cuz" Parry, who the publisher says were "integral to the creation of the franchise and the development of the three original games."

Skate 4 (or whatever EA calls it) is still a long way off, and what form it will take remains to be seen. The Full Circle website is currently hiring for dozens of management and development positions. Unfortunately, it's unclear if they need mo-cap actors who can do mediocre ollies. My plans are ruined.

Fortunately, the skate game is undergoing a bit of a renaissance right now. Whether it's the incredible nostalgic throwbacks of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2" or the modders who are converting "Skater XL" into a dream skate game. In the future, I'm in love with the otherworldly street sessions of Skate Story, and Skatebird looks like a fun and brilliant reinvention of Tony Hawk's format. [It's been a while since EA has skated the ramp, and Full Circle will have to pull off some great tricks to dominate this park.