Microsoft Says Viva Piñata!

Microsoft Game Studios yesterday said in conjunction with 4Kids Entertainment the roll out of “Viva Piñata”, an entertainment property created by Rare Ltd. of living piñata animals, to video games, television and a range of merchandise. Viva Piñata ties will begin rolling out this fall.

The Viva Piñata brand, said the two companies, will begin first as a television series which airs in the fall Saturday mornings on FOX. In this comedy series, created by 4Kids Entertainment, a cast of piñata “friends” embark on wild adventures on Piñata Island. An Xbox 360 title will appear also by the holiday season. This title is “customizable, social and spontaneous game that invites players of all ages and skills to explore an immersive world where they are challenged to create and maintain a living garden ecosystem that grows in real time. Beginning with a few basic tools, players build and take control of their environment to attract and host more than 60 species of wild piñata, utilizing hundreds of customizable elements to create their very own distinctively unique thriving paradise.”

The Xbox 360 Viva Piñata game will also offer new content on the online Xbox Live service and give players the ability to play, trade and interact with one another.

“With ‘Viva Piñata,’ we are introducing a revolutionary brand that will entertain, inspire and excite children, families and creative minds around the globe,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp, in a statement. “With Rare and 4Kids Entertainment we will best showcase the vibrant world of ‘Viva Piñata,’ enabling a mass audience to have an immersive experience via the animated television series, the Xbox 360 title and related merchandise.”