Viva-Pinata
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Viva Pinata invasion results in Mario Lopez dancing
How on earth did this guy not win? Check out the moves. Joystiq attended a Microsoft Viva Piñata event on the California coast yesterday, held at the world famous Santa Monica Pier. There must have been about a billion piñatas everywhere, but none of them were harmed during the event. Not a single one. How can you possibly set a bunch of kids loose on a bunch of papier måché animals and not expect them to a) want to whack the crap out of them, and b) grab all the candy that comes spilling out? Well, Microsoft is changing one mind at a time. This was an event for kids, and there was the requisite face painting, picture taking, game playing, and ... Mario López? We're still not sure what he was doing there, other than the fact that yes, he's Mexican ... and was on Dancing with the Stars. Okay, so in stretch maybe we cou ... no, we still don't buy it. In addition to the tons of piñatas, the Spanish-language L.A. radio station La Raza 97.9 was also there to kick up the Latino factor with some jams and prizes. Unfortunately, there was no spicy food served at this event, much to our chagrin. However, they did have this commercial for the game playing on some sweet HDTVs. We could laugh at that all day. Well, through at least three viewings. Check out our photocomic spread of the event after the jump. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
A virgin to the world of Viva Piata
Tonight I'm getting my hands on a copy of Viva Piñata. I've never really played many sim games other than Sim City 2000 back in the day ... so I may be a little rusty when it comes to playing with piñatas in a living/breathing virtual world. Anyway, I'm looking to you fellow fanboy readers for some advice. Anyone have a copy of Viva Piñata, do you have any advice for me, any warnings, any crates you want to send me? I want to know the secrets to getting the best possible experience I can from this game. I guess I'm just uber excited about getting my hands on these fluffy little guys and maybe whacking one open to see what spills out. Come on fanboys, take off your alpha male hats, activate your piñata brain, and give me some advice on the world of Viva Piñata. I've got my pen ready.
Rare reluctant to pursue Microsoft's vision
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Rare's lead designer Gregg Mayles sounded reluctant about developing downloadable content for Viva Piñata. "We've got plenty of ideas for what we can do ... But the jury is still out," said Mayles. For now, Rare seems content to sit back and watch other studios' successes and failures. It's clear that if Rare is to continue to provide downloadable content, it doesn't want to go the EA route; that's not to say the developer is in the business of hand-outs. Ill-reception of Kameo's premium content has forced Rare to rethink its strategy, leading the studio to consider that resources are perhaps better spent on the 'next' project. Despite forming a branch of the Microsoft camp, Rare is having a difficult time adopting its parent company's content-for-now, content-for-later model.
Viva Pinata takes stab at Genji jokes
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Xbox_360_s_Viva_Pinata_Makes_Fun_of_PS3_s_Genji'; Rare's latest title, Viva Pinata, looks to have reopened the now-infamous -- and somewhat tiresome -- crab joke from Sony's E3 2006 press conference. A GameSpot forum member stumbled upon this during his game time and took a picture for everyone's amusement. Consider this one company using a first-party title to give its heated competitor a paper cut and pouring lemon juice on it.After the E3 2006 press conference, the PlayStation 3 title Genji: Day of the Blade was derided for the description of "real-time weapon changing" and "giant enemy crabs" which you could "attack for massive damage." The meme has gone on to be more popular than the game itself, which has received poor reviews since its release alongside the PS3. Viva Pinata, for its part, has actually garnered some positive critical reception, given developer Rare some much-needed praise.Now that Microsoft has taken the bait and retold a seven month old joke, can we please, please, please let it go?See Also: Pile on: Contact takes a jab at Sony meme[Thanks, Brandon][Update: Missed one part of the joke -- real time weapons changing -- and fixed Rare's first-party status.]
Create a piata and join the party
Yesterday I mentioned the fun Viva Piñata party going down at the Santa Monica pier on December 2nd, but it kind of sucks if you don't live nearby to enjoy the festivities. No worries, because John over at Gamerscore Blog is welcoming all fans, who want to partake in the fun, to create a piñata and send him a picture of it. You can create your piñata on the Viva Piñata game, draw one, paint one, or make a real life piñata, then send him a picture of it and they'll add it to their "Virtual Piñata Wall" on the pier for everyone to see on December 2nd. They are also giving away prizes to some lucky fans who send in their piñata art. So, get to it and start making that lizardrop or batsucker piñata and your efforts will be showcased at the piñata party!
You're invited to a piata party
If you live in the LA area, have kids, are a kid at heart, or just love Viva Piñata then make your way to the world's largest piñata party! Gamerscore Blog has posted an invite to anyone interested in participating in their Viva Piñata bash that is going down on December 2nd at the Santa Monica Pier. Not only will you be able to play Viva Piñata, but there will be face painting, free rides, prizes galore, cartoons, get your picture taken with the Viva Piñata characters, and a 35 foot tall Horstachio! I know ... I'm even getting excited! And since the whole event is free, bring your kids, nephews, cousins and even the annoying neighbor kids down to the pier for some piñata fun. Thanks again Microsoft, we love your marketing events ... they make us so happy.
Metareview: Viva Piata
Microsoft's Pokémon inspired children's title, Viva Piñata has finally hit the market and is picking up some reviews. Most of the reviews are very positive, though some note that Viva Piñata probably won't satisfy the twitch-happy Gears of War crowd. Then again, it's not really designed for action fans, though many reviews are claiming that it's actually very complex. Sitting somewhere between The Sims and Animal Crossing, Viva Piñata is performing admirably. It currently has an average of 85 on Metacritic. Gamespot (8.3/10) - "It oozes charm and personality from its every papier-mâché-covered pore. While it's accessible enough for those with very little gaming experience (and their children), it also has enough depth to keep any of you with a Pokemon-style "gotta catch 'em all" mentality--or perhaps a penchant for gardening--entertained for many hours." IGN (8.5/10) - "... it seems like a serious oversight to not include the ability to show off your garden in some way to your friends. Here is a game where you spend all of your time cultivating and shaping your garden space -- and you can't show it to anybody on Live. The only way for them to see it is to be right next to you." 1UP (9/10) - "Rare has certainly recaptured its former glory here, and in producing one of the most misunderstood games of the year, it has also produced one of the finest in its history, and certainly one of the most intriguing on 360. To dismiss it as "just for kids" would be foolish. You are not too cool to enjoy this game." 1UP wasn't the only review to share the ironic sentiment that Viva Piñata -- a franchise specifically designed to rake in your kids' cash -- is one of the best Rare games in years. Will Microsoft's famous investment finally pay off?
Presenting some sweet Viva Piata swag
The package pictured above showed up on Gamertag Radio's doorstep yesterday. The box had a copy of Viva Piñata, a "passport" to Piñata Island, some purple Easter grass, and of course, the piñata. A sweeter piece of game related swag we haven't seen in a long time. Yes, we're afraid that it even tops RoboBlitz T-shirts. Sadly, packages like this rarely make it past the automated Nerf turrets outside Fanboy Towers -- they're not lethal, just really annoying. It's too bad really, because it's a nice bit of kit we could have given away. Speaking of Viva Piñata, has anybody picked it up yet? Is it any good?
An actual Viva Piata ... piata?
It's natural really. American Greetings has signed a deal with 4Kids Entertainment to create, ahem, "social expression products" based on Microsoft's would be Pokémon killer, Viva Piñata. These products are to include stickers, gift wrap, gift bags, greeting cards, Christmas ornaments, and (drum roll please) party goods! Oh please, let them make honest-to-God piñatas. I actually saw a Viva Piñata branded piñata while picking up my copy of GOW, but I think it was purely promotional. Besides, it was tiny. It would hold, like, hardly any candy at all. So, if you love (or hate) Viva Piñata and would dearly like to smash your own, your dream is one step closer to reality. Don't get your hopes up just yet, though: the product line isn't scheduled to launch until Fall of 2007. Full press release after the break.
Games shipping this week: ignorant edition
Let's see . . . games shipping this week . . . let's have a look. Hmmmm, we've got World Championship Poker: All In. Not bad, not bad. Let's see what else, Viva Piñata, ooh that's a pretty big one. And, oh, there's Call of Duty 3 and Project 8, those are huge games, too. We've got History Channel Civil War and Blitz: the League, those might be pretty good. Anything else? Let's see . . . nope. No, that's it, nothing else. Oh wait, there's another one here at the bottom. Um . . . Gears of . . . what is it, War? Is that it? Is that a game about Richard Gere? If it is, they spelled his name wrong.
Viva Piata achievements cracked open
Piñata Island, the wiki for all your Viva Piñata needs, has a big stick. They have taken that stick, swung it smack into the piñata that is the internet, and cracked it wide open. "What was inside?" you ask. Why, nothing other than a listing of Viva Piñata's 20 non-secret achievements. There are 50 in all, with 30 of them being secret. The achievements range from easy (name one of your piñatas) to requiring Pokémon like dedication (attract 50 piñatas) -- and all of them are worth 20 points. Supposedly, all achievements should be unlocked through normal play. Our favorite is Wealth Master, which requires the player to amass 100,000 chocolate coins, the game's currency. We don't care if they are chocolate, anyone with 100,000 chocolate coins is wealthy in our book. [Thanks, jimmcq]
Now there's a Rare site
Rare is back online with a new and, dare I say, boring website design that seems focused on...Piñatas. Imagine that. You might as well pay a visit after checking out their latest "more than a video, less than a demo" offering on Marketplace.
Viva Piata demo on Marketplace, sort of
There is a new Viva Piñata "demo" available on Xbox Live Marketplace. It is dubbed an "interactive video," which means it's not really a demo proper. We have been trying to download it all day, so that we could tell you what it's all about. It seems like the Live gods are against us, however, as we have been unable to actually complete the download. It keeps getting stuck at lower and lower percentages, too. Has anyone else been able to grab it? What's it like? Inquiring minds want to know.
Viva Piata featured in WSJ (wha?)
Nintendo may have created the first generation of (pocket) monster controlled mindslaves, but Microsoft is hoping to snare the next generation with piñatas. And it looks like they just might hit the big time. That's right, Viva Piñata has been featured in the money-grubbingest of all publications, the Wall Street Journal. A subscription is required to read the article, and we certainly don't make WSJ caliber money around here. Lucky for us, the fine folks of Gamerscoreblog have picked out a tasty snippet, "And in the New York showroom of Playmates Toys Inc. on Wednesday, 70 or so tradable Viva Piñata figurines and a hand-held electronic game -- made by Playmates -- will be unveiled. The toys offer more avenues for marketing partnerships that would connect Viva Piñata with kids when they step away from their TVs and are designed to link the components of a piñata universe that has been carefully concocted to boost the videogame."It just drips with the trappings of a master plan, doesn't it? Any of you planning on picking up Viva Piñata for the kids? For yourselves?
Be Called to Duty on Nov. 10th
Call of Duty fans mark your calendars, Call of Duty 3 has been dated. CVG lists the 360 version for November 10th, well before any other version (the PS3 version is set for March 07). Curiously absent from Activision's announcement is the date for the Xbox version. CVG speculates that this could mean the Xbox version has been canceled. It seems doubtful, but COD2 is the 360's first million seller. Maybe Activision and Mircrosoft are hoping COD3 will drive sales of the 360. Regardless, 360 owners will be the first to play. We can't help but note that it's going to be impossible to sample all the 360 goodness this holiday. Gears of War, Phantasy Star, Splinter Cell, Viva Piñata, R6 Vegas, the list just keeps going. Who's planning on squeezing Call of Duty 3 in there?[Via Evil Avatar]
X06: ...and the rest
Quick impressions and thoughts on some other noteworthy games shown on the X06 show floor. Guitar Hero II (360): Not playable, but demo'ed continuously by two rock gods with the stamina of heavyweight boxers (see picture). They confirmed that the final Xbox 360 guitar controller would look like a Gibson Explorer but refused to comment on wireless capabilities or the intriguing D-pad on the base. Game itself looked nice in hi-rez, but graphics lagged a bit with the music at this early stage. Viva Piñata: Playable tutorial walks you through building a house, attracting new piñatas and making baby eggs. Rare demo with ten hours of progress showed a thriving garden brimming with life and fully accessorized piñatas. Hired helpers prevent the game from becoming a micromanagement chore. Looks like it could be a hit with the Pokemon set. Forza Motorosport 2: Game had major frame rate issues, making it very difficult to play and/or judge. PR handlers say it's 60 percent complete... that last 40 will be an uphill battle. Halo 2 (PC): Game played great with the mouse and keyboard, and looked great on the decked out Dell Dimension 9150 with large widescreen monitor. Other than that, it's still Halo. Map editor was not available for demo. Crackdown: Grand Theft Auto meets Hulk: Ultimate Destruction in a mess of a game with rough graphics, sloppy controls and an awful camera system. Needs serious work to be a worthy contender. That about does it for X06 posts from Barcelona. Sorry if I didn't cover your favorite game, but there wasn't enough time to do justice to everything available on the show floor. If there's anything you're still wondering about that wasn't covered in our X06 posts, I'll do my best to answer specific questions in the below comment thread in the coming days.
X06 brief, see it again for the first time [update 1]
If you were unable to catch the live webcast of Microsoft's X06 briefing, it's now available on Xbox.com (links directly to video). We've given you some snippets of it already, but now you can get the whole enchilada (mmm ... enchiladas). The briefing was filled with lots of glitz, glamour, and video, things that were lacking in a certain other keynote at TGS earlier this month. Viva Piñata, Gears of War, Blue Dragon, you name it. If it's a big game, it's there. Check it out, if you're so inclined.Update: It looks like the link wouldn't play nice with our interface. Should be fixed now. Click here.
Tons of new X06 Marketplace content
Following today's press briefing, there is now a boatload of new trailers on Marketplace. They are, in no particular order:Assassin's CreedBlue DragonLost OdysseyHalo WarsViva PiñataCall of Duty 3Marvel UniverseBanjo-KazooiePGR4Splinter Cell: Double AgentBioshockFIFA 07All this and a bag of DOOM. We have to wonder, though: what the hell will we get next? They've got two more days to fill after all. Any predictions?
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 MicrosoftThough 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!
Not so special edition of Viva Pinata [update 1]
Not content with brainwashing our children with simple "standard" editions of the kid friendly Viva Piñata, Microsoft has made known their intentions to release a "special" edition of the title. What makes it special, you ask. You see beyond just the game, buyers of the special edition will receive playable demos of Lego Star Wars II, Frogger, Cloning Clyde, Time Pilot, and Marble Blast Ultra. That's right, they're bundling in demos that can be had for free on Xbox Live (with the exception of LSWII). Also included is a full length episode of the TV show (any drug dealer will tell you that the first taste is free). No doubt, MS is including these easily obtainable extras for the benefit of kids and parents who have yet to grasp the complexities of Xbox Live and its Marketplace. For gamers like us that understand our console, the extras hardly seem like a value add. Still, we're sure that this will force many parents to learn how to use Live properly. There may be no better educational incentive than the pleading scream of a child: "It says I need Xbox Live! Make it work!" Even though the value of the demos is questionable, you can't argue with the $49.99 price tag. Hell, that would be a deal if it came with nothing. Update: Fixed grammatical error -- two in one day. Jeez.
