E3 2006: Viva Pinata Fact Sheet @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 12, 2006

News: Live pinatas? Run for the hills!

Microsoft is making their play for Pokemon crowd with the new game/cartoon/toy hybrid Viva Pinata.

And instead of having them work on Killer Instinct 3, Conker 2 or Banjo-Threeie, Microsoft has tapped uberdevelopers Rare with the task of bringing Viva Pinata to life. So that shows you what Microsoft thinks of the kid's market.

Here's what we know:

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Rare Ltd.
Format: DVD exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game system; Xbox Live-enabled
ESRB Rating: УEФ for Everyone
Release Date: Holiday 2006 worldwide

About УViva PiёataФ
УViva Piёata,Ф an original intellectual property and the latest innovative gaming experience from leading U.K.-based developer Rare Ltd., invites gamers to create an immersive world where living piёatas inhabit an ever-changing environment. Beginning with a few basic tools, players build and take control of this environment, using their creativity and imagination to attract, protect and manage over 60 different piёata species that can visit their world and make it their home. Utilizing hundreds of customizable elements, players can create a unique piёata paradise.

Pushing the capabilities of the hardware, УViva PiёataФ brings a vibrant and engaging gaming experience to the Xbox 360 platform. Appealing to kids, adults, casual gamers and enthusiasts alike, this uniquely customizable and social game rewards and challenges all players regardless of their skill level.

Gameplay
The УViva PiёataФ gameplay experience presents a customizable, social and spontaneous world in which gamers play an absolutely crucial role. The УViva PiёataФ world is an evolving paradise teeming with fantastic living piёata creatures and vibrant plant life, all determined by the player's choices and actions. УViva PiёataФ boasts the following qualities:

Customizable. УViva PiёataФ allows players' imaginations to run wild by providing them with expansive freedom and choice:
Ц Your world. Your choice of contents will determine which of the piёata species are attracted to your world, since they all have individual requirements. Sowing grass, digging ponds, planting flowers and growing trees all affect which of the unique piёatas you will see. It's not just about plants, either; there is a whole range of ornaments and structures that could be decisive. Your reward for creating an appealing paradise is to watch the piёatas visit and eventually reside there, which is where the fun really starts.
Ц Your piёatas. Once you have resident piёatas, you can begin to personalize your loyal community. Piёatas can be individually named and given their own personally designed tag to put on display as a declaration of their home turf. And the customization doesn't end there. You can make the colorful critters more distinctive by customizing them with all kinds of costumes and accessories.

Social. The УViva PiёataФ community is a rewarding place to be, whether you remain within the boundaries of your own world or venture out into the real world or your friend's piёata world via Xbox Live, the first and only global, unified online console games service.
Ц Interact with the piёatas. Getting to know and understand the personalities and requirements of your piёatas is essential if you want them to stay happy and thrive. Make your world their ideal paradise, and they'll want to raise a family and expand your community.
Ц Interact with the characters. Players decide how much help they want from the local guides, shopkeepers and work force. Go it alone or get them involved Ч you choose.
Ц Interact with other players online. Via the Xbox Live online community, players can contact other gamers to lend a hand, lay down a competitive challenge or trade items.

Spontaneous. УViva PiёataФ is a constantly changing world where anything can and does happen:
Ц It's happening outside. It's not just new piёata species that are drawn to your world; untamed sour piёatas with bad attitudes and troublemaking ruffians do their worst to spoil your creation and must be dealt with.
Ц It's happening inside. Maintaining harmony within a growing community isn't always easy when rivalries, illness, injuries and even candy-spilling fights occur. If players turn their backs, who knows what their piёatas will do?