It's kind of surprising to see Microsoft bring out a title like this so early in the Xbox 360's life - usually offbeat family oriented games like this don't show up until two years after launch. It is equally surprising to see Rare make a game this cuddly when the last entry was the much more serious Perfect Dark Zero - but perhaps Rare is feeling more comfortable already. But Viva Pinata is a calculated, bold move to broaden the machine's demographic sooner rather than later. After all, there's more to gaming than even Gears of War.
For the same crowd who loves games like Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokemon, Viva Pinata might bring a new level of depth to their standard fare and ease them into games with even more depth, while still delivering the candy-colored graphics and whimsy they expect. For older gamers, Viva Pinata could just be a peek inside the new Rare - and what the future might hold for Rare on Xbox 360.
