Do You Have Viva Piñata?

Believe it or not, Microsoft Game Studios released two games this week for the Xbox 360.  One of them revolves around characters you want to break open to see what comes out, and the other features piñatas.  Have you gotten your hands on a Fudgehog yet?

Microsoft has said that it expects Viva Piñata to touch the casual and hardcore gamer alike.  It will be interesting to see much better a game like Gears of War - which can't be purchased by a good underaged portion of the gaming world, and isn't marketed to family play - will do when compared to a "mass market" title.

“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.”

I genuinely think the 360 could use some bold new game ideas.  I must admit, though, that I'm not one of the people this game speaks to (even when it speaks in the proper accent.)  I don't mind silly and colorful.  I just don't have the patience to nurture anything.  Who among you will confess to skipping past Gears and buying Viva Piñata instead?

The game should be in US stores today, and will be hitting Europe on December 2nd.  If you don't know enough, here is what the recent press release says about the game:

Fudgehogs, Mousemallows, Elephanillas and Pretztails are just a handful of the 60 species of wild piñata, coming to homes this holiday season in “Viva Piñata™,” the highly anticipated Xbox 360™ game for kids of all ages.

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.

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 personalization options, “Viva Piñata” lets people name their piñatas, choose accessories for them to wear, decide where to plant grass and flowers, and more. The colorful, fully customizable game invites people into a world with all kinds of possibilities.