Rare's Viva Pinata: Giving The World Buzzlegums And Fudgehogs

In this fascinating illustration-filled article, developer Rare explains the visual and design genesis of the Viva Pinata game franchise, from the original design document through concept sketches, mobile, PDA, and Xbox iterations to the finished Xbox 360 game.

The creators at Rare discuss "the original design [concept] written by Rare founder Tim Stamper many, many years ago", noting that:

"Although short, it still puts forward the core gameplay seen in today's Viva Piñata: gardening, animals and the ability to trade. During this early period, Xbox Live had not really taken off to the extent that you see today and so the chosen platforms were mobile phones and PDAs."