You just have to adapt, and you have to realize where people are

In the voice of Tony Hawk, champion not only of the skatepark but of reinvention, there is spoken a truth as old as time: “You just have to adapt, and you have to realize where people are going to actually play their games. It used to just be Nintendo and PlayStation, and now it’s all kinds of devices. So you’ve got to learn to adapt what you know from the technology into those areas… I’ve been wanting to do a mobile game for a long time.” These words are not merely about entertainment, but about survival, growth, and the eternal law that those who endure are those who adapt.

For what is adaptation but the art of transformation? The eagle soars because it learns to ride the wind, the river carves its way through stone because it bends and shifts with time. Hawk reminds us that even in the world of games, where once a few mighty platforms like Nintendo and PlayStation reigned, now there is a vast and shifting sea of devices. To cling only to the old ways is to fade, but to adapt is to thrive. This is not the voice of a mere businessman, but the wisdom of one who has ridden the waves of change, both in sport and in culture.

History testifies to this eternal law. Consider the Roman Empire, which endured for centuries not by rigid strength, but by adopting and absorbing the strengths of others—Greek philosophy, Egyptian agriculture, barbarian warriors who became Roman soldiers. When Rome adapted, it grew strong; when it refused to adapt, it collapsed. Hawk’s reflection carries the same essence: the medium changes, the audience shifts, but the wise creator follows the people where they go, carrying forward the heart of their craft.

The meaning of Hawk’s words also lies in the marriage of technology and artistry. He does not abandon his essence—skateboarding and the culture around it—but he seeks to translate it into new forms, like the mobile game. This is the mark of true creativity: the ability to carry the spirit of a thing into new vessels, without losing its soul. Just as the Homeric epics once sung by voice were later written on parchment, and now live on screens, so too must every art evolve, or risk vanishing.

But there is also humility in his confession. Hawk admits that he has long desired to move into the mobile realm, yet the path required patience, learning, and adaptation. This is a teaching for all of us: change is not easy, and desire alone is not enough. One must study, understand, and reshape what one already knows to meet the new challenge. To adapt is not to abandon the past, but to transform it into something that can live in the future.

The lesson for us is clear: do not cling too tightly to the forms of yesterday. Whether in art, business, or life, the world will change around you, and if you do not change with it, you will be left behind. Ask yourself not only, What do I create? but also, Where do people now live, gather, and play? Then take the heart of what you know and translate it into the language of the present. Adaptation is not compromise—it is survival, and beyond survival, it is the way to growth and renewal.

So let Tony Hawk’s words be remembered not only as the musings of a skater, but as wisdom for every generation: adapt, learn, and carry the spirit of your work into every new arena where people dwell. For those who adapt will ride the future as Hawk rode the halfpipe—fearless, graceful, and triumphant—while those who cling to the past will be left in silence, wondering why the world no longer listens.