GamesWatch's simonc just played a round of Viva Pinata, and based on his play he hits us with some interesting facts: The game managed to sell roughly 40,000 titles (barring Warhammer jokes) last month. This, compared to the likes of Gears of War (1 million+) or FEAR (100,000+).

What makes the sales numbers intriguing are the game's ratings - simonc mentions that it was getting good reviews over at a couple of sites, though there wasn't much forum activity for Microsoft's attempts at a more family-oriented title. With these facts in mind, simonc decided that there were three factors that caused it to be overlooked:

1. Game developer Rare Ltd also developed two Xbox 360 launch titles - Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo - that never really took off. Not to mention that Rare developing a wholesome, family-oriented 360 game didn't sit too well with the guys who were accustomed to their other titles.
2. The game lacks a main character, as compared to games like Harvest Moon, which had you playing in the shoes of a central character.
3. Simonc also pointed out the game's feature of only allowing you to interact with creatures that land in your garden. Sounds fun, but most kids would probably prefer to catch the said beasts in a Poke Ball, and use them for fights.