Microsoft today announced that Viva Pinata will be released in Europe on the first of december. Besides the normal game, there will also be a Special Edition available for just a short time. It is unknown if this is just a limited number of copies or that you will be charged extra for.

The Special Edition will contain an episode of the Viva Pinata tv-series and some Xbox 360 game demo's.
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Rare today announced that Viva Pinata has gone gold. That means the development of the game is finished and it's about ready to be shipped to gameshops worldwide.
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Viva Pinata will be released on the 12th of November - the same day as Gears of War. These two games are going to sell huge amounts of copies - and the hype caused by the same-day release will be great for Microsoft. They will have practically all demographics buying their games on this single Emergence Day!
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Well, 20 of them. A total of 1,000 gamerpoints are on offer, broken evenly amongst 50 achievements. However, 30 of them are secret and you'll have to play the game to find them out.
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We get a beautiful HD glimpse of Viva Pinata on our massive televisions. If we have them. This is not so much a demo, but a slightly interactive taster. It looks so good on the eyes!
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The X06 line-up might have impressed the games industry, but Xbox boss Peter Moore has conceded that Microsoft must work harder to attract new gamers if it is to match arch rival Sony and "hit 100 million".
And, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in Barcelona earlier this week, Moore revealed that Microsoft is already working on peripheral-based software that it believes can match the market-broadening success of titles like SingStar and Guitar Hero.

"We recognise that what we call the 'Family Funster' stuff, if it's a category, is something we need to do better on," admitted Moore.

"With Viva Pinata there's this interesting concept of building an animated series ¿ this is Microsoft doing children's television. If we'd said two years ago we'll have stuff for 8-12 year olds on Xbox Live I'm sure you'd have given me a slightly puzzled look. But I recognise that and we are doing a lot of stuff, we're just not ready to announce it yet."

Asked whether this meant Microsoft is currently working on its answer to the likes of SingStar and Buzz, Moore confirmed: "Oh yeah. And it's more than just games. Buzz, Singstar, Guitar Hero ¿ there are peripherals and stuff of that nature. Things that in some instances take the controller away and give you things you feel more comfortable with."
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About a month ago at the Leipzig Games Convention, developer Rare received a lot of flack for a crashy and frame-dropping Viva Pinata demo. What a difference a month makes. The demo we got to play at X06 seemed to be an entirely different beast altogether. The lock-ups and horrible framerate were magically replaced with some of the best graphics we've seen on 360 to ... » Read More

Xbox 360 paper animal collecting game Viva Pinata makes us smile every time we see it, so that's four more smiles and a grin today thanks to the latest clutch of screenshots and trailer. Just hit the Images and Movies tabs above to see them for yourself. The movie gives some indication as to how the game plays, although we have to say the human character looks a little out of place. The four shots also show some features we haven't seen before, such as a rainstorm and a snowy mountain with a ... » Read More

Microsoft have released a list of games that will be featuring at this year's TGS. There are not many surprises, apart from the omission of the game everyone wants to see: Halo 3.

There are also a couple of games I have not heard of, such as Super Robot Taisen XO, so it will be interesting to see exactly what that turns out to be. Of course, it could be a Japanese title, since the event is in Japan, and might be an attempt to try and sell more 360s to the unwanting Japanese public. The games are as follows:

MotoGP'06 (THQ)
WWE 2007 SmackDown vs. Raw (THQ)
The Outfit (THQ)
Vampire Reign (AQ Interactive)
A Ressha de Gyouku HX (Artdink)
Dead Rising (Capcom)
Lost Planet Extreme Condition (Capcom)
Winning Eleven Serie (Konami)
Operation Darkness (Success)
Project Sylpheed (Square Enix)
Tomb Raider Legend (Eidos)
X-Men The Official Game (Spike)
Prey (Spike)
Full Auto (Sega)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega)
Chikyuu Boueigun X (D3)
Fuzion Frenzy 2 (Hudson)
Culdcept Saga (Bandai Namco)
Trusty Bell: Chopin's Dream (Bandai Namco)
Mobile Suit Gundam: Operation: Troy (Bandai Namco)
The Idol Master (Bandai Namco)
Super Robot Taisen XO (Banpresto)
Tenchu Senran (From Software)
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Tecmo)
Forza Motorsport (Microsoft)
Viva Pinata (Rare)
Riot Act [Crackdown] (Microsoft)
Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis (Microsoft)
Gears of War (Microsoft)
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Showing the design phase of a series of the Viva Pinata species and characters, these items of artwork were released by Rare just yesterday. The evolution of character design is very evident!
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Viva Pinata from Microsoft Corp., Rare Ltd. and 4Kids Entertainment Inc. will make its debut this Saturday morning on 4Kids TV on FOX. The computer graphics (CG) animated series produced by 4Kids Entertainment and Bardel Entertainment will act as a springboard for the new franchise, which will also include an Xbox 360 video game from Microsoft Game Studios and other licensed merchandise.
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For all you out there waiting for Viva Pinata for the 360. A Viva Pinata wiki site has gone live with a ton of advanced intel about pinata types, characters and etc. etc.
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Dutch toys store 'Intertoys' distributed their annual catalogue this week. This might not sound very interesting but what caught our eye were the dates they listed for three big Microsoft published Xbox 360 games. According to the catalog we'll see Viva Pinata, Forza 2 and Gears of War in stores by the 6th of November.
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Two new trailers, 'Chewnicorn in the Garden ' and 'Viva Pinata Horstachio of a Different Color', (both in 480p and 720p) for 'Viva Pinata' are now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for members in the U.S. and Canada.
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A television rendition of Rare's 360 game Viva Pinata is to hit Fox's four hour morning block "4Kids".

The first episode will premiere on September 9th and will definitely bolster sales when the game hits this holiday season.
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We've rooted out some new images of Rare's Viva Pinata which will be released for Xbox 360 at the end of the year. Check them out by clicking the images tab above. The game gives you the opportunity to cultivate a pinata haven which will attract the colorful creatures to come and inhabit the area. It's all about customization as you try to make your little patch of green a desirable and safe place to live. Once pinatas have decided to make your garden their home you can then go about ... » Read More

It looks as if one Microsoft insider has revealed to Joystiq the pricing for some upcoming official 360 accessories! The one that really stands so to speak is a rather attractive Uno bundle consisting of an Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset,UNO and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 which will be released in the USA on September 19th! They also have word that new faceplates featuring Halo will be available for $19.99, wireless headset with a 30-ft range at $59.99, a 256MB memory unit for $59.99 and last we have the wireless gaming receiver which is set to be available at $19.99.

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Perhaps the most important involves the bundling of the Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset, the popular Live Arcade title UNO, and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 when it releases in the States on September 19, 2006.

Granted, this is still an unofficial report (based on a leak of "official" info), so understand that you're probably not gonna get much confirmation from MS until they're good and ready to give it. If you'd like information on what other peripherals are coming out "Holiday 2006" (so sometime in the 4th quarter) and at what price, read on for more.

- New faceplates featuring Halo, Forza 2, & Viva Pinata for $19.99 each
- Wireless headest with a 30-foot range for $59.99
- 256MB Memory Unit for $59.99
- Wireless gaming receiver for $19.99 (but it'll go on sale in Winter 2007, unlike the others, probably around the month of February)
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If we had the money to make just one game, we'd go for the "living pinatas" theme too. Uh... wait, no. Be that as it may, that's Rare's next big thing, and you can find out for yourself just how bizarre and adorable it can be by clicking on the "movies" tab above. Don't blame us if it leaves you with a craving for ... » Read More

The next big game from Rare will be a brand-new franchise called Viva Pinata. An original idea by game developer Rare, the game will debut this holiday, just a few months after the tie-in CGI animated cartoon debuts on American television. The game is not based directly on the show, but instead takes place in the same world of Viva Pinata Island. In Viva Pinata, pinatas are living creatures. You tend a garden to attract them - if your dirt looks particularly inviting, worms will make your ... » Read More

Rainbow coloured paper animals combined with gardening-based gameplay is a curious concoction that you'd not normally associate with Xbox 360. But that's exactly what developer Rare - the people behind Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero - is germinating for the console with its newly announced title, Viva Pinata, which it plans to release this Christmas. Described by Microsoft as a "customisable, social and spontaneous game", Viva Pinata is based on an upcoming animated TV series of the same name, ... » Read More