Who's played the demo so far? I had the whole weekend to play it and i've got this game DOWN now. :) I'll admit it took me awhile to get the hang of the controls, but after maybe 45 minutes or an hour, I figured it out. It was all about getting good at it after that. I seemed to have an easier time with the ATVs but the bikes are still my favorite. The trick system is awesome (it's a lot like the Tony Hawk games). I love getting some big air and busting out 2 or 3 tricks if I can. 
 
Overall, if you can learn to understand and respect the time it takes to learn this, you'll see it's actually a very good game, unique and different from other games in the same genre. I'm pretty hyped for the full game release now! December 1st can't come faster :)

I really like the improvements. I was never really into the series before, but it did deliver some nice screw-around fun. The dual stick control seems like it should have come years ago and I also like the track wear. But the trick system does indeed feel too Tony Hawk when it needs to feel more Skate-ish. I'm not into the genre enough to buy the game for full price, but I would totally get a co-op capable downloadable version of the game with one large sandbox map and few or no races for $15. Publishers should start offering something between a demo and a full game and price it accordingly.
 
I just want them to make a Wave Race style PWC game in the engine.
 
Oh, one thing about the dual stick controls while the rider is in the air; the left Y axis should control the push and pull of the rider's hands/shoulders (like the X axis manipulates them turning the handlebars) while the right Y axis should only control the push and pull of his feet/rear, instead of the left doing neither and right doing both. The reason I say this is because I have trouble adjusting my pitch and it seems like it would benefit from more than the rider moving just his ass up and down.