Why I think the Viva Pinata franchise has been abandoned

[FeralKitty]

Microsoft recently demo'd a method of moving pets from an Xbox game to a smartphone.

Which game did Microsoft feature in the demo? Kinectimals. The demo showed how you can scan a barcode from the Kinectimals game to move your big cat over to a smartphone.

Which Microsoft game is getting a new expansion? Kinectimals.

What's Rare been working on (together with another developer)? Kinect Sports 2.

Sure, furry cats have more general cuteness/appeal than papery pinatas, but Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise has had barcodes since the game was released almost 3 years ago.

Microsoft gave free smartphones to its game developers. Frontier jumped on the bandwagon. So, why hasn't Rare or Microsoft shown any apps that let you scan Viva Pinata barcodes to import pinatas into smartphones?

I think it's because there are no future plans for Viva Pinata, and Rare just hasn't told us the franchise is dead.

[FeralKitty]

Here's a YouTube video of the demo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZuqi8IzTYY).

It's neat how you can play with your Kinectimal on your smartphone, make it do tricks, accessorize it, and even pose it in photos that you take with your phone.

[Green_Grunt4]

I hope it isn't true that Rare has let Viva Pinata to die, but the truth hurts. All we have to do is believe!

[Longcat123]

No this shall not happen. I will go on youtube ,tell people to come here, and make the the amount of fans so large that rare shall have to make a new game! puts on evil awesome face: RESISTANCE IS FUTILE MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

[OriginalSkoar]

I read an article in Wired magazine last month about how people hacked the Kinect, and about how many non-game applications were being considered for it. Roboticists were thrilled, because the Kinect not only has infra-red capabioity, but also motion-capture and depth perception--attributes they had been trying unsucessfully to develop on their own. Kinect does everything they want for far less than they were spending. The Military is also interested.

The upshot is, Microsoft stands to make far more on non-gaming sales than on gamers, and they npo longe have any use at all for the PV Camera. I also read a blog (which, of course I can't find) which said pretty much the same thing about dropping production and support for the PVC. No PVC, no VP: Anything Else.

Sad.

[Doctor Pretztail]

The sad truth is that 360 owners just don't have time for a game that doesn't invlove intense violence or sport, so viva pinata was never going to sell vey well (I think deep down we all knew that). Maybe if rare had released it with nintendo it would have been different since their consoles attract a younger audience, and rare has had a good partnership and success with nintendo in the past (goldeneye). It's a shame really, since the frachise had so much potential and an amazing fanbase, and it never took off because 360 owners didn't want to give it a chance. I salute everyone who bought the viva pinata games and those who attempted to keep the franchise alive.

[FeralKitty]

I think it's because there are no future plans for Viva Pinata, and Rare just hasn't told us the franchise is dead.

IndustryGamers takes a look inside Rare's Twycross campus (http://www.industrygamers.com/news/feature-inside-rare/).

What was supposed to feel like entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, though, felt more like walking into a best friend’s apartment after a breakup, with very few memories of the previous relationship, or in this case, a lucrative marriage with Nintendo that produced some of the best video games of all time.

The message is clear. Rare doesn’t cling to the past.

Conspicuous by its absence was anything relating to Viva Pinata. Odd, considering the original was nominated for six awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, the most since GoldenEye 007.

If someone had given us the choice of seeing Rare in the late 90s or 2011, the former is by far the most appealing. Granted, we enjoyed Kinect Sports: Season Two, but it’s clear the studio has lost some of the magic associated with working on a well-known franchise, especially one involving Nintendo.

What did we take away from the trip? Rare’s alive, and you can count on Kinect Sports: Season Three.

R.I.P., Viva Piñata.

[Amaroq]

Say it aint so....

I think that VP is dead for the 360

Our only hope is that once the Nextbox/Xbox 720/Whateveryouwanttocallitbox
comes out, and Rare has finished with their Kinect Sports: Blah Blah Blah,
than maybe just MAYBE Viva Pinata will be risen from the grave to a new and glorious world where it will find happiness alongside tons of gamers.

[pinata kid 101]

Im an Xbox gamer and when My Family got an xbox 360 which came with viva pinata and fell in love with it its so creative being able to make and care for a pinata garden
its a game that anyone and sit down and melt into it

I do like some mature games like Assassins creed,Halo,fable and much more but I will never abandoned playing the VP series

One of my best friends sent in lots of pages for ideas on viva pinata 3 and he is still waiting for a reply
hopefully rare gets inspired by my friend letter and make another game full of his ideas
I seen all of the pages and they were truely AMAZING
I loved his idea for a Cracken(Kraken+Cracker) and his good Pheonopeach(Pheonix+Peach) but it has been month since he has sent it

[DragumflyRules]

How can they adandoned viva pinata just for some Cats? there's a millon games in the world like that. but only one game that is like viva pinata and that's viva pinata it's Self!i would never leave viva pinata for a game that is just like virtual puppys for ds.

[OriginalSkoar]

Don't blame Rare, blame Microsoft. Microsoft isn't interested in craftmanship, they are interested in their bottom line. If it doesn't make a ton of money very quickly, they don't want it.

Our only hope is that some other game studio buys the rights to Viva Pinata, and makes an even halfway decent game. That will be tough to do without Rare's proprietary game engine, but if someone does, I will play it anyway!

[FeralKitty]

Viva Pinata sales figures were "disappointing," and Microsoft would rather sell millions of copies of more popular games like Gears of War or Kinect Sports. Yep, it's absolutely about the money for them.

I think that's why I'm so disappointed, because the money is more important than the fans who play the games. I think priorities are wrong when you withhold news from followers about iPhone apps that encourage/support gamers playing your titles, simply to try to hurt a "rival's" business.

I doubt Microsoft would license or sell the rights to Viva Pinata to anyone else. It's a real shame, because Viva Pinata on the iPhone or iPad would be amazing!

[scarlettkane]

:o:confused::twisted::twisted:Don't blame Rare, blame my sis


isn't interested in craftmanship, they are interested in their bottom line. If it doesn't make a ton of money very quickly, they don't want it.

Our only hope is that some other game studio buys the rights to Viva Pinata, and makes an even halfway decent game. That will be tough to do without Rare's proprietary game engine, but if someone does, I will play it anyway!

[FeralKitty]

Microsoft has recently released a variety of apps for Apple mobile devices, such as:

SkyDrive for iPhone,
Kinectimals for iPhone and iPad,
Halo Waypoint for iPhone,
OneNote for iPad, and
Xbox Live for iPhone and iPad

This is a very remarkable move by Microsoft. Let's hope that Rare Limited joins in, and brings us some iOS pinatas and Kinect Sports fun!

[Amaroq]

VP for iPad would make me so happy

[Alice the Pretztail]

Yeah, that'll be so cool!

[Master romancer]

Microsoft kinda ruined the banjo-kazooie series when they made nuts and bolts. I miss the old BK games...they also kinda ruined conker when they turned it into live and reloaded. While they have made some good games,microsoft goes and ruins brilliant games just to make cash. And to think rare used to be one of my favourite game companies...sigh...

[pinata kid 101]

I dont see why rare cant make another game
there is all of us supporting them for another game, Viva Pinata must be popular by now
Microsoft have came into this game and ruined it, Let hope Microsoft can make a good choice and make this series go on

[Bark polar icecream]

Well…. children of parents who own Xbox, Viva Pinata is a prime game for young children. But still, Rare can't just abandon one of their properties.

[Skeletor55]

I think they might continue the series i have hope and I support Rare but
Microsoft is all about the money money Money

[shrly]

Well…. children of parents who own Xbox, Viva Pinata is a prime game for young children. But still, Rare can't just abandon one of their properties.

It might have been meant for kids but I've been in my second childhood for 30+ years and almost all my VP online friends are 40+. My grandkids like it, too. <g>

[foreveralone419]

Let's just face the hard truth. Rare has abandoned Viva Pinata. I mean, sure, they still send out famous pinatas once in a while, but even they probably know that in order to be successful in today's market, you have to make games where you kill people continously (not my type of game).

As you can probably see, all Microsoft cares about is the money. If that were not true, then you would probably see another Viva Pinata game.

My only hope for a revival would be for the Xbox 720. "Viva Pinata 720." I like that name.

[Birthday boy]

Yeah, to be honest, I don't see the Viva Pinata series coming back. Rare just seems to be working on Kinect games now, and I don't see a sequel anytime soon. They have not been working on their other memorable projects either, it's not just Viva Pinata, it's all of Rare's past projects. The thoughts are making me depressed, a good series just can't go to waste!

[Alice the Pretztail]

Does is kinda off-topic (and probably a stupid question), but how come "kinectimals" is the only tag for this thread?

[MissMallowolf]

I don't think it's the end of Viva Piñata. If Rare could make any game they want, they'd probably make a new VP game. I think there will be another one, but probably not for some time. Unfortunately Microsoft just wants to waste their talent on Kinect games.

[Alice the Pretztail]

Maybe they're working on new pinatas?

[FeralKitty]

If Rare could make any game they want, they'd probably make a new VP game.

There's been a lot of turnover at Rare over the last few years; some of the team who worked on VP have left, or been laid off.

I'm sure all the new people Rare has hired are talented, but I doubt they have the same fondness for VP that Team VP had.

Unfortunately Microsoft just wants to waste their talent on Kinect games.

Microsoft not only calls the shots, but has their people in top management slots at Rare. It may still say Rare above the door, but Microsoft runs that shop from the inside, too.

[alessandro348]

Let's just face the truth in that Rare hasn't made any good games in a long time.

I'm not sure if they had a hand in the last Donkey Kong Country, but if they didn't sort of proves my point.

All they make is games on the Kinect now, but motion controls is a tired gimmick that got overused. Garbage after garbage game churned out, its entire selling point is that you can wave your arms around and look moronic, if the system actually decides to respond.

By no accounts is Viva Pinata a brainless game designed for young children, but that's how they marketed it. Viva Pinata does not hand the player easy victories, and has a solid layer of complexity that most young kids would get frustrated with.

I would love to see Rare come out with VP 3, but I doubt it's going to happen. Damn shame, sad to see a platinum best seller series go down the drain.

[thebib62]

You could tell M$ really tried hard for VP to be the next hot thing in gaming, as well as for TV. It's not everyday you have a TV based on a video game that had come out a couple of months prior.

Between the TV show, and the kids toys they had at Burger King, M$ did try at first, to make this series successful. I don't think M$ would have pushed for a TV show for a video game that they thought would have been mediocre.
Not sure what happened after that initial process though.

Even though I hate to say it, I think VP is done with. Which is truly a shame. VP is such a unique series, and the environment is beautiful! Every time I play VP, or watch the show, I always get into a happier mood, since everything is so lively.

At least they decided to release the entire series on Hulu.