Viva Piñata full of gold

Juvenile gamers haven't exactly been given a fair shake so far with games for the only next-generation console on the market, the Xbox 360. Launch day came equipped with the colorful Kameo: Elements of Power from Rare Ltd., but since then the pickings have been very slim for games aimed at children.

Rare is once again looking to tap into the kids'--and psychedelic adult--market with Viva Piñata, a new game that is also being developed as a TV series and toy line. According to Gamerscore Blog, the official blog of the Xbox Marketing team, that time is almost upon us. The site reports that the game has gone gold and is expected to make its ship date of November 9.

In the game, players tend to a garden and attempt to attract various colorful, almost psychedelic, creatures by satisfying their needs. By keeping the garden's residents happy, the Piñatas may reproduce, bringing in even more creatures.

Viva Piñata is also expected to make full use of Xbox Live, allowing gamers to trade items and purchase new goodies for the game.

Viva Piñata is rated E for Everyone and will retail for $49.99. For more information, read GameSpot's recent preview.