Newsflash:Viva Piñata Bursts Into Stores!
Horstachios, Fizzlybears, Fudgehogs, Mousemallows, Elephanillas, and Pretztails are just a handful of the 60 unique species of wild piñata, and they're all coming to homes this holiday season in Viva Piñata™, the highly anticipated Xbox 360™ game for kids of all ages. Breaking new ground in Xbox 360 family entertainment, Viva Piñata shipped to stores on November 9, and it will continue to be rolled out to retailers throughout the U.S. and worldwide through December 2. Created by world-renowned video game developer Rare Ltd. and Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, the two-disc Viva Piñata Special Edition invites game-players to escape to Piñata Island, where wild-roaming, living piñata animals are looking for a home. "With the arrival of Viva Piñata, we're opening up Xbox 360 to new audiences and inviting more people to jump into the fun," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "This is a game that will have broad appeal. Families will play it together. Kids will play it by day, and, I'm willing to bet, their parents will play it at night. Even for the seasoned gamer, Viva Piñata will be a great escape, and they'll see it as a guilty pleasure." People of all ages will enjoy the vibrant world where they can create and customize their own environment to attract, tame, and nurture more than 60 species of wild piñata, and make their experience uniquely their own. Packed with hundreds of options for personalizing your game, Viva Piñata lets people name their piñatas, choose accessories for them to wear, decide where to plant grass, flowers, and plants, and much more. This colorful, fully customizable game invites people into a world full of all kinds of possibilities. Fans were first able to experience the world of Viva Piñata in September, with the debut of the Saturday-morning computer-generated animation series produced by 4Kids Entertainment and Bardel Entertainment on 4Kids TV on FOX. The arrival of Viva Piñata for Xbox 360 establishes a crossover between the show and the game as people, young and old, tune in to the series to pick up hints and tricks to take back to the game. Viva Piñatagameplay will be extended through the Xbox Live® online entertainment network. Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be able to connect with friends, family, and other players from around the globe to trade items from their piñata paradise—everything from the smallest plant to the largest piñata. Players with the free Xbox Live Silver membership also can trade items. Xbox Live will also offer exclusive accessories for download into the game to personalize their piñata collections. The genesis of the Viva Piñata franchise came from Rare Ltd., known for such all-age-friendly games as Banjo-Kazooie and Grabbed by the Ghoulies®. Veteran developers of these games, as well as a new crop of talent, worked together to craft Viva Piñata into the fun-filled game available now on store shelves. "Right from the start, we knew we wanted to create a game that featured a garden full of customizable, tradable animals with unique appearances and behavior patterns," said Gregg Mayles, lead designer for Viva Piñata at Rare Ltd. "When we were looking for a design twist to make it stand out, our concept artist came up with piñata-themed sketches, and the look immediately stuck." Additional Viva Piñata products are expected to debut in fall 2007, with Playmates Toys Inc. and American Greetings Corp. already on board for toys and party goods. The latest information about Viva Piñata is available at http://www.vivapinata.com, the virtual island where gamers can find hints and tips for the Xbox 360 video game, get the latest updates on the 4Kids TV animated TV series, and score exclusive extras including games, activities, ring tones, and avatars. Viva Piñatafrom Rare and Microsoft Game Studios is rated E for Everyone and is available exclusively on Xbox 360. The game started shipping November 9, and will be on store shelves by the following week with an estimated retail price of $49.99. The two-disc Viva Piñata Special Edition, available for a limited time, will include a second disc with playable demos of LucasArts' LEGO® Star Wars® II: The Original Trilogy, the arcade classic Frogger, as well as family favorites Cloning Clyde, Time Pilot, and Marble Blast Ultra. In addition, a full-length episode from the zany, anything-can-happen animated TV series Viva Piñata is also included. About Rare Ltd. About 4Kids Entertainment About 4Kids TV |
