TGS: Viewing Viva Piata
Viva Piñata was our first in a series of Microsoft press events being held yesterday during the first day of the open-to-the-public portion of the Tokyo Game Show. Safely huddled away from the unwashed gaming masses filling the Makuhari Messe convention center to within an inch of its legal limitations, I pulled up a chair to be walked through Rare's holiday hopeful by Michael Johnson, a Global Product Manager at Microsoft
Though we're inclined to process their insistence that Viva Piñata offers a depth of play that makes the kiddie-happy "life simulator" appealing to older audiences as self serving (of course they think it will be), there are several elements of the game that strike me as a bit twisted, in a wry, British sort of way. In addition to being able to crack open your piñatas and watch their sugary entrails pour out, the sensitive issue of procreation is handled quite literally through a "romance dance." No Hot Coffee minigame here, just the right tunes and the right moves, and somehow a stork gets the message that he should whip up some offspring to be delivered in egg format -- no icky birthing process necessary!
Some of the game's stabs at cartoon cleverness are particularly groan-inducing, like the candy-inspired naming convention. Horsetachio we'll take, but Syrupant (ie. serpent)? Ooof. But who are we to criticize? Microsoft's hired professional kiddie-crack creators 4Kids to craft this clever (some might say cunning) attempt to cash in on the cartoon tie-in phenomenon. They're the savvy folks responsible for turning Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! into global phenomenons, confounding parents and sensibilities everywhere!
Johnson is frank about Microsoft's ambitions for the IP, saying, "This is the first title in something you'll see for a long, long time." Kart racers? Nope, not if he has something to say about it ... but definitely something. The game will be available in fully localized versions (easier to suck in the kids who can't read yet), in countries all over the world. The accompanying CGI cartoon, already playing in the US on Fox, will be popping up internationally as well, ready to draw new viewers into the game.
One of the most interesting parts of their strategy to build Viva Piñata into a giant brand will be the Xbox Live Marketplace integration. Giving users the ability to purchase fun (and frivolous) add-ons could prove wildly successful, or transparently avaricious. When your 7-year-old demands that latest and greatest in piñata fashion, an otherwise novel feature could turn into an unwelcome guest. Like all XBLM content, this is a delicate dance that will undoubtedly change to reflect consumer interest.
With 60 piñatas, an estimated 30-40 hours of gameplay (but it's open ended, so it all depends), and several levels of completion for each species, the title sounds like it will extend beyond the interest of plenty of kids. But we we remain skeptical that it will earn the sort of audience that both Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon have, and Microsoft wants.
He asked us for a shirt! We're flattered. Luckily I had this one rolled up and jammed in the bottom of my laptop bag.
