In 2002, the gaming world witnessed the release of BMX XXX, an unusual concoction of BMX sports and adult entertainment. Today, it is often recalled with bewilderment and intrigue, driven by a single question: How did such a game come into existence? To shed light on this, we delve into the stories of the developers behind what was originally intended to be Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3.
The journey began at Z-Axis, a small development studio which had just finished working on the official England team football game, Three Lions, published by Take-Two Interactive. This collaboration led to Z-Axis developing Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy for the newly formed subsidiary, Rockstar Games. Despite releasing around the same time as the phenomenal Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Thrasher failed to achieve similar success.
Nonetheless, extreme sports were at their zenith during the late '90s and early 2000s, and Z-Axis rode this wave by proposing a BMX game to various publishers. Acclaim Entertainment seized the opportunity, resulting in the birth of Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. The game and its successors performed remarkably well, with the first two installments selling around 2.4 million copies combined.
The team at Z-Axis was as passionate about extreme sports as their audience. The studio culture involved trying out BMX tricks at work, and the BMX athletes whose names graced the game series made regular visits to provide insights and participate in motion capture sessions.
When the time came for another sequel, the direction unexpectedly shifted. The game industry was maturing, with more adults playing games and titles like Grand Theft Auto gaining popularity. Glen Egan, the project manager at Z-Axis, recalls discussions about preserving the edginess of punk soundtracks and embracing the irreverent humor and stunts popularized by shows like Jackass. However, when the marketing department got involved, the initial ideas spiraled into the extreme, giving rise to stripper videos and puerile humor—components never envisioned by the developers.
Acclaim, seeing potential in controversy, encouraged the developers to push the envelope further, suggesting the addition of real stripper videos as rewards for game progression. Z-Axis, though uncomfortable, found themselves following Acclaim's directives to maintain their partnership. These radical changes eventually led to the withdrawal of Dave Mirra himself from the project. Acclaim, facing financial difficulties, decided to proceed without the star athlete, seeing it as a necessary gamble.
Despite the challenging development process, the inclusive studio environment sought to maintain respect and avoid the objectification of women, with a female lead character designer at the helm. Even so, the game was peppered with juvenile humor and boundary-pushing content.
As the launch approached, BMX XXX faced backlash and censorship. Major US retailers, including Walmart, refused to stock the game, significantly impacting its commercial success. Sony demanded the censorship of topless images in the PlayStation 2 version, while the game remained uncut on Xbox and GameCube. Despite these challenges, BMX XXX has solid gameplay mechanics, even if overshadowed by its controversial theme.
In the aftermath, the developers, now part of Activision, reflected on the game's legacy. Z-Axis shifted its focus to other projects, like X-Men: The Official Game. Egan and Guerrero, game developers, expressed no regrets regarding their involvement with BMX XXX. The notoriety and unique experience of working on such an unusual project became a remarkable point in their careers—a game largely forgotten but for its infamy, adding a peculiar chapter to gaming history.
Two decades later, BMX XXX remains a benchmark for the industry’s daring forays and risqué experiments. It stands as a reminder of a time when the lines between extreme sports and adult entertainment were blurred, resulting in a game that is still being discussed for its bold and bizarre existence.
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