Game designer Justin Cook and software engineer James Thomas expressed their thoughts about Rare and the Viva Piñata franchise in a recent interview. According to them, they wanted to blaze a new trail on the Xbox 360, and Viva Piñata was the fruit of that desire. Despite the risk of the game being overshadowed by Gears of War, Rare went ahead and did the best job they could, and it shows.

Thomas and Cook also mentioned that a DS version of Viva Piñata is due for release sometime in the future. Both men were particularly pleased with the DS version, and they mentioned that the modified game menu systems fit well with the stylus and the touch screen system. The result? Added accuracy and flexibility to an already wonderful game.

A sequel entitled Viva Piñata: Party Animals is also scheduled for release on October 30, 2007. Rare has passed the development torch to Krome for this installment, as the former is busy with a new hush-hush project. There appears to be a good working relationship between the two developers; Cook and Thomas said that both Rare and Krome are pretty much on the same team. In fact, Krome has been sending courtesy test versions of the sequel to Rare as a professional courtesy, and from what they've seen, both Cook and Thomas think that Krome has done a pretty good job so far.

One question that's probably on everyone's minds is: Can and will Rare revisit old favorites like Killer Instinct, in spite of the fact that Rare is now Microsoft-owned? That is certainly a possibility, as Rare Ltd. is still on good terms with Nintendo. While Nintendo has the option of releasing certain old titles for their Wii's Virtual Console, Cook and Thomas stated that certain titles remain entirely theirs (Banjo-Kazooie, for instance). In fact, Nintendo has actually asked them to do ports of games for Nintendo's format, a testament to the quality of Rare's titles.

To read up on the rest of the Rare interview, feel free to visit the read link below.

 

For those of us who have just bought into the next-gen gaming craze, and are looking for a high-quality title for your Xbox 360 that's both quirkily addicting and fun for the whole family, then look no further. Viva Pinata is here to brighten your day, at the mere pittance of US$ 15, courtesy of Amazon. Talk about bang for your buck!

For the unitiated, Rare Ltd.'s Viva Pinata is one of those games that caters to both casual and hardcore audiences, as well as kids of all ages. You, the player, starts off with a neglected plot of land, and it's up to you to pretty it up so that multicolored candy animals called Pinatas will come over and move in, becoming residents. You'll plant, landscape, and even help two pinatas fall in love and have little pinatas of their own.

For parents worried about violence or any mature themes in this game, you'll be happy to know that Viva Pinata is safe for anyone to play, the game having received multiple awards including Family Game of the Year. Not only does it teach your young'uns the importance of friendship, love and hard work, it also gives them a sense of responsibility, as the game has you taking care of all your resident pinatas.

Unique gameplay, a refreshing visual style, hilarious references both the old and young will appreciate - it's all here, and it's going cheap. You can check out Amazon's page of the game by clicking on the read link below. Enjoy!

Inter-piñata breeding is apparently loved and approved of by our mommies and daddies. That's right kiddies. Viva Piñata just won this year's top Parents' Choice Award. We've also heard Bill Gates approve of Rare Ltd.'s piñata gardenry game as well, so maybe some other parents follow suit.

If you're curious, other titles which also won the hearts of parents were Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (Wii and DS), Backyard Basketball 2007, and Animal Genius. From the looks of things though, Parents' Choice Awards are given to those games that feature... animals ("animals" here, would be ana-morphically defined loosely though). Remember last year's award-winner? Animal Crossing: Wild World bagged the top award, and now we have Piñata.

Anyone want to guess next year's winner?

Well, it has been dubbed as a girl's game (insert Bill Gates' "for young girls remark here"). Viva Piñata from Rare Ltd. certainly leans more to be family oriented, and an addicting title at that.

Viva Piñata's demo is now available at the Xbox Live Marketplace and what better time to take some time off from playing Gears of War? Too bad the demo is available for US only. Well, North America will be able to experience the wonders of tending to his/her own garden, and attracting piñata denizens to reside there.

The Viva Piñata demo weighs about 1 GB of space. Well, what are you waiting for? Grab them shovels and start gardening. Green thumbs not included (and gangrene thumbs a definite no-no).

It's loved by Bill Gates' daughter and set for a sequel. You can bet that Rare won't be throwing the towel on their imaginative piñata sim anytime soon. Games Industry recently got word from Rare Ltd. that Viva Piñata will continue to get support from the company for at least another two years.

According to Lee Schuneman, Rare's head of production, "We're pleased with the overall support that it's got and there's more to come within that franchise." While it hasn't been that big of a hit in stores, they're banking on the animated series to help boost sales of the game among younger gamers and families who own an Xbox 360 or who have yet to buy one of the new-generation consoles out now.

"It's a two or three year push," he said, relating the future the television series and the game, "and if after that it's a terrible failure then we'll say fair enough."

Remember Bill Gates' rather thoughtless remark that Viva Pinata is a game for girls? Well, it seems now that his comment was sparked by his very own daughter.

Gates shared that her 10-year old daughter was not a hardcore gamer until this year when the young girl started at a school where students use tablet computers for virtually everything. While addressing a business audience in Ottawa, Gates shared,

She became very avid and discovered a lot of computer games, including one that runs on the Xbox 360 called Viva Pinata, where you take care of your garden. She could spend two or three hours a day on this Viva Pinata, because it's kind of engaging and fun.

It doesn't mean though that you can spend all your time playing just because you're Bill Gates' daughter. The co-founder of Microsoft then said that he and his wife Melinda set a limit of 45 minutes a day of total game time and one hour a day during weekends. He then became somewhat serious and commented,

Up to some age, to be determined, it's very appropriate for a parent to get a sense of what they're seeing out there and be able to have conversations about it. My son said, 'Am I going to have limits like this my whole life?', and I said, 'No, when you move away you can set your own screen limits'.

With the success of Viva Piñata, the then-elusive devs of Rare are now opening up some more to the public. Recently, Ryan Stevenson, a concept artist at Rare, Ltd. was interviewed by GameTrailers and he talked about the future of Viva Piñata and details about the next Banjo game. The video is of course laden with personal tidbits like how Rare is still getting used to the fact that they're opening up more to the media, among other things.

With regards to a sequel to Viva Piñata, he mentions that they are going to continue on with the series, although they are still working on what's gonna be new in the game's sequel. The concept artist also mentioned that he has been working on a new game for the Banjo series.

He divulges that the next Banjo outing is still going to be part of the series and it won't be a new one - which means that all the characters you've grown to love will still be in the game, but he wouldn't reveal if Gruntilda would be back. There was also a section about what happened with Stop 'N' Swop. Anyhow, we'll quit babbling and let the vid speak for itself.

It might be weird to see a Microsoft Game Studios title on the DS, but in an interview with 1UP, Microsoft Game Studios">Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Game Studios, said that, "A Kameo or a Viva Pinata on a DS makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways from a franchise perspective."

Despite a slow start, Microsoft Game Studios is still committed to Rare's Pinata-filled IP. Phil Spencer, head of Studio Development for Microsoft Game Studios, said that Viva Pinata is "the beginning of an IP that will be a pillar for Microsoft Game Studios for a long time." Kim also expressed similar sentiments, saying, "I think it's fair to say that we're going to continue to invest in that property."

Speaking of handhelds, will these and other Rare titles make the jump to the PSP too? Don't hold your breath. Says Kim, "Whether you're talking about [publishing games on] mobile or the DS -- you probably won't see it on the PSP, though."

Buy: [Viva Pinata for the Xbox 360]
Buy: [Kameo Elements of Power (Xbox 360)]

We recently found out that there are new contents for Viva Piñata and Sonic the Hedgehog at the Xbox Live Marketplace. So if you have some spare MS points, then read on. First off, Sega">Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sega recently announced that three new levels for the game could now be downloaded for 200 MS points. No details about the levels, but the report mentions that this one is suited for experienced players.

Now, what's the new stuff for Rare's Viva Piñata? If you're the type who dwells on the physical appearance of your darling piñata, then this might tickle your fancy. Well, for 90 MS points, you get a new accessory pack for the game. Basically, the pack will enable you to "design" your piñata with the mustache of Von Ghoul and the Conkerifique Helmet.

Buy: [Viva Piñata]
Buy: [Sonic the Hedgehog]

What's the worst thing you could say to a hardcore male gamer, aside from the occasional "Your mother is a tomato" joke? Well, you could try what Bill Gates said about the XTREME HARDCORE-ness that is Viva Piñata.

Microsoft's electronic maven said Viva Piñata was for girls. In the video below, Gates can be heard saying, "We have a thing called Viva Pinata that's for young girls, where you're tending the garden and these animals come along..."

Of all the sexist things to say! Men can tend gardens and raise pinata animals just as well as Sassy McPrissypants! Why? Because Viva Pinata, like Ponies and Kittens, is 100% bonafide HARRRDCORRRE! RAWR.