Bill Gates: "Viva Piñata is for little girls"

Ouch that certainly won't help sell copies of the game. It's a strange game that I just couldn't get hooked on.

My wife likes it a little, but I rented Test Drive Unlimited and she is hooked on that game. Something about the buying houses and cars.
 
I've heard it's very Sims-like. Is that accurate? I'm sure someday I'll give it a rental, but I've hated every Sims game that I've tried to play in the past.
 
Ouch. I thought your title was just paraphrased, but he literally says VP is for "young girls." So if I'm playing a game designed for young girls, does that make me a pervert? :lol:


As for whether it's like the Sims... I have not played the Sims much, but they do have some things in common. A better comparison is probably a mix of Animal Crossing/Harvest Moon. If you don't like open-ended games without a clear goal (like the Sims, AC, etc), it's probably not going to provide lasting entertainment.
 
I think it's always been pretty obvious that Bill doesn't play a lot of games, and all he really knows about most games is what people tell him.
 
[quote name='Kaijufan']I think it's always been pretty obvious that Bill doesn't play a lot of games, and all he really knows about most games is what people tell him.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I don't mean to be too hard on the guy.


And to the people who asked: Viva isn't really like The Sims, it has some of the elements, but it's really nothing like The Sims.

You really ought to check it out.
 
I got VP thinking it would be something liek the sims (which I played the hell out of) so far im bored out of my mind.
 
Why would he say something like that, and potentially cripple Rare's best game on the 360 so far?

I guarantee you this will lower sales as this moves across the interwebs, and EB / GS employees will now tell people "Oh, don't get Viva Pinata... it's for little girls, Bill Gates said so".

If I was Rare, right now I'd be fucking PISSED.
 
what do you expect, it is a Kids game. It comes with a manual about sexual predators and the cartoon is on 4kids................................................
 
nothing I didn't already expect/know. Doesn't bother me, though, I can still enjoy the game, and I seriously doubt this would hurt sales in any way.
 
[quote name='jtbradford']Ouch. I thought your title was just paraphrased, but he literally says VP is for "young girls." So if I'm playing a game designed for young girls, does that make me a pervert? :lol:

As for whether it's like the Sims... I have not played the Sims much, but they do have some things in common. A better comparison is probably a mix of Animal Crossing/Harvest Moon. If you don't like open-ended games without a clear goal (like the Sims, AC, etc), it's probably not going to provide lasting entertainment.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, Animal Crossing/Harvest Moon, with a bit of Pokemon thrown in, for good ol' calculated marketing purposes.

It's Rare's best game in some time ... but that said, it IS meant to appeal to all those folks who won't touch the shooter-heavy 360 with a 10-foot-pole. I mean a 4Kids tie-in cartoon doesn't exactly scream "Embrace me, mainstream gamer!" Or are people suddenly going to start backpeddaling with the "Nintendo is for kids" schtick, now that a cutesy piñata farming game for little girls on the 360 is "cool"? Can't have it both ways, you know?
 
Obviously the market for this game is younger kids, with the saturday morning cartoon show and everything. That doesn't mean adults can't enjoy it too. I'm still planning on picking it up once it drops to about 15 bucks.
 
I tried to play this but now I just have it around for my little nephews. They love it. The irritating cartoon voices just get to me.
 
The problem with the statement is that the managing you have to do in the game gets so overwhelming that little girls won't even experience half of the content.

It's a game marketed in every way, visually and otherwise, at children, but designed for adults.
 
[quote name='Indiana']Ouch that certainly won't help sell copies of the game. It's a strange game that I just couldn't get hooked on.

My wife likes it a little, but I rented Test Drive Unlimited and she is hooked on that game. Something about the buying houses and cars.[/quote]

Sounds like a line from a Good Charlotte song (yes, I ashamedly admit that I own the CD...what the hell was I thinking...) that goes "Girls don't like boys/Girls like cars and money"
 
So what! Gears of War is rated "M" and is intended for adults...

And I gotta deal with dumbass 12 year olds who missed the departure for Puberty Cruise and hasn't been disciplined about the fact-of-life in which the formula goes [talking too much + being too cocky = get your ass beat and end up on Youtube]
 
Wow. That's just brilliant. Viva Piniata is the first 360 exclusive that's almost a must buy for me...

and the head of the company insults me by saying it's for "little girls". Is he completely daft? That game mostly appeals to GAMERS, and most gamers are probably over 20.
 
Sorry guys, but it is intended for kids. Have you seen the show?! Horrible! I can't even sit still for 5 minutes because it is soooooo like Dora the explorer and Diego (don't ask me why I know their names).

But they did tweak it to make sure adults will enjoy it as well. Like the 50 hour real-time achievement and reaching max level (you basically have to max out every plant and animal). That's wicked.
 
[quote name='nintendokid']Sorry guys, but it is intended for kids. Have you seen the show?! Horrible! I can't even sit still for 5 minutes because it is soooooo like Dora the explorer and Diego (don't ask me why I know their names).[/quote]

So? Just because there's some hideous show using the license doesn't mean the game is for kids.

But they did tweak it to make sure adults will enjoy it as well. Like the 50 hour real-time achievement and reaching max level (you basically have to max out every plant and animal). That's wicked.
Click to expand...

From everything I've read, it really isn't something a lot of kids (or short attention spanned adults) are going to be able to enjoy.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']So? Just because there's some hideous show using the license doesn't mean the game is for kids. [/QUOTE]
Technically it's targeted at families. It's the only game I've ever seen with cooperative control. Not cooperative playing, but control. Both controllers will control the same cursor/camera/etc. This is so parents and kids can play together, with the adult helping to whatever level the kid needs.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']So? Just because there's some hideous show using the license doesn't mean the game is for kids.



From everything I've read, it really isn't something a lot of kids (or short attention spanned adults) are going to be able to enjoy.[/quote]

The game is modeled after the show, not the other way around. You mean short attention spanned kids like the Pokemon bunch? Because these kids you speak of kept that franchise alive for over a decade now.

No one says you can't play it just because you are not a kid. I'm 25 and I played it alot in December and just got bored with it. But you can't deny the fact that it's for kids. The majority of gamers don't browse gamespot, IGN, or CAG. They walk into a store and rely on their own tastes and what their friends have recommended.

I can guarantee that 18 year old Billy did not tell his 18 year old friend Jimmy "Anyway, eh, yo! You should check out this new game that's out. Viva Pinata. You find pinata animals and breed em'. It's tight!"

Have you looked at the cover closely? Here's a Horstachio smiling on the cover with baby blue, pink, and orange colors! A kid and an adult walks by the colorful game: who's more likely to get interested?
 
[quote name='nintendokid']The game is modeled after the show, not the other way around. [/QUOTE]
No, actually it's not. The game came first. At least the game concept. Rare had been developing it since 2002, first on for PDAs ,then the original Xbox, then the 360. During development MS and Rare realized it was getting pretty popular and would be a great animated show. The show didn't even start airing until August 2006, six months after VP was announced.
 
[quote name='Damian']No, actually it's not. The game came first. At least the game concept. Rare had been developing it since 2002, first on for PDAs ,then the original Xbox, then the 360. During development MS and Rare realized it was getting pretty popular and would be a great animated show. The show didn't even start airing until August 2006, six months after VP was announced.[/QUOTE]

Just to add to the back and forth: it's neither. When VP was announced, it was as multiple projects. The game and the show were developed concurrently, to cash in on cross media "synergy." They wanted a piece of that "insanely addictive to young kids like Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh" pie and designed a property to go after it, both as a show and a game. If either were more successful, I guarantee there'd be a collectible card game and tie-in comic books and so on as well.
 
This thread is proof why most non hardcore gritty games fail on the 360.

Can't wait to see Blue Dragon bomb here simply because "The cover has too many colors!!" and "It looks like a cartoon!!"

:roll:
 
I've played this game, and it really is kind of geared towards little girls. Don't get my wrong, I'm sure someone in every age group, male or female, can enjoy it, but I think it would appeal to young girls the most. I'm sure there are plenty of girls out there that can enjoy Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War, but those games are geared towards guys. So give Bill Gates a break, there's no need to analyze every little thing he says.
 
Good luck to the lttle girls then because the game is much harder than most mature rated games.
 
Ah ya, I knew this game was so babyish and for little girlies. I guess ONLY little girls ARE attracted to a game like this. No wonder why I could never see its appeal. :lol:
 
[quote name='Roufuss']This thread is proof why most non hardcore gritty games fail on the 360.

Can't wait to see Blue Dragon bomb here simply because "The cover has too many colors!!" and "It looks like a cartoon!!"

:roll:[/QUOTE]

No doubt. I can't believe the number of ignorant people on this forum. Way too many people around here judging a book by its cover. To each their own, but those that knock it without giving it a fair shake are doing a disservice to themselves. It is easily one of the best games on the system.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']This thread is proof why most non hardcore gritty games fail on the 360.

Can't wait to see Blue Dragon bomb here simply because "The cover has too many colors!!" and "It looks like a cartoon!!"

:roll:[/quote]

I'm pretty sure Blue Dragon will bomb because it was made for little boys.;)
 
I do usually judge a book by its cover...I'm not going to read something called "Anna's Garden Tea Party" With a pink cover and flowers in each corner xD
 
This statement will not make any difference whatsoever. Viva Pinata is targeted to a broader audience than your hardcore gamer. These typical "casual gamers" do not spend much time on the internet finding out what Bill Gates has to say.

And most people who want this game will buy it because they like the game. It's not like people think like this: "I am going to buy Viva Pinata tomorrow, oh wait, what is this, Bill Gates says that the game is for girls?. Thats it , I am not buying it...." Please...:roll:
 
The game is aimed at kids. What is so hard for you guys to understand? It doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. I personally thought it simplicity and "kiddie" factor to be rather boring. I put two animals after I meet their demands into a house so they can dance the night away and play some insanely easy minigame. The most adult this game gets is that they suggest sex to kids.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']This thread is proof why most non hardcore gritty games fail on the 360.

Can't wait to see Blue Dragon bomb here simply because "The cover has too many colors!!" and "It looks like a cartoon!!"

:roll:[/QUOTE]

Agreed Roufuss. This is also why MS doesn't know what to do with Japan. I will agree though, the short presentation I saw the game seems like it's meant for kids but based on the great reviews it's gotten I'll probably get it sometime down the line.
 
Subby just went to buy a copy to use for bait.

[quote name='felixlighter']Who cares who they are targeting? The game is what the game is. If you like it, play it; if you don't, don't.[/quote]

Delete all other posts. A perfect summary.
 
I was personally bewildered at the man-love for this game, until I picked it up. Yeah, I feel kind of like a fairy when I play it (especially when my girlfriend rolls her eyes at me), but what can I say, it's fun. Don't let Bill Gates stop you from giving it a try - you might like it a lot more than you think. *Note, I paid $20 for it, and would not pay more than 30*
 
[quote name='lordopus99']The game is aimed at kids. What is so hard for you guys to understand? It doesn't mean you can't enjoy it.[/QUOTE]

Bingo. There are more options than "It's aimed at little girls! I'll never play it!" and "It's not aimed at kids -- it's a good game!" It could be, like, a baby game AND a game worth playing! Imagine!
 
Rented it to see what I was missing. Not my cup of tea I get mad to ez. I couldnt stand it that after working my ass off the dam things fought all the time and got sick and I wasted money trying to heal them but most of the tme dam floating dude came and exploded them. I ended up beating everything up with my shovel and letting the rental go back. If I need to raise my blood pressure again I might pick it up.
 
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