Viva Pinata = Region Free

scrapland

Well the USA version has been confirmed to be region free and is available now.

It also got a very good review over at IGN

Whether the Asian version is region free or not we will have to wait and see, but if GOW is anything to go by it looks like

Microsoft games from USA / PAL are region free, but Asian versions are not.

That's three consecutive games that seeming follow suit

99 nights (N3) USA & Pal version region free. NTSC-J (Asia & Japan) Not
Gears of War USA & Pal version region free. NTSC-J (Asia & Japan) Aparently Not
Viva Pinta USA & Pal version region free. NTSC-J (Asia & Japan) ?????

I think it's obvious there is going to be a pattern here for future reference.

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As Viva is now not released here till 1st December, I managed to order a LMTD Edition USA copy of ebay for €42 including shipping. Still €33 cheaper than it will be here

kensutz

Viva pinata is region free in Asia too. Microsoft are bringing out first party games which are region free.

scrapland

kensutz wrote:

Viva pinata is region free in Asia too. Microsoft are bringing out first party games which are region free.

Have ye confirmation. Play-Asia still showing ???????

If true my fingers are still crossed GOW Asia will still work when it arrives. I didnt want to risk two ??? asian games this month...

chrislad

Seriously, what's the appeal for this game? Completely lost on me.

scrapland

You have to play Animal Crossing on the Cube & DS.

If you like that game, and The Sims, well Viva is a cross between the two.

From IGN

If you've played The Sims or Animal Crossing and enjoyed them, Viva Pinata is a safe bet. The gameplay is more interactive and hectic, and facing the consequences of your actions, be they good or bad, is enjoyable gaming. Viva Piñata may have been designed with children in mind, but Rare has created a game that anybody with an open mind can get into and have fun with. The characters are endearing and the abounding sense of discovery can't be denied. Despite the slim interpersonal Xbox Live interaction we would hope for in a game like this, Viva Piñata has enough to explore and keep you busy that it makes for a solid purchase.

looking good. Exactly what i wanted. Animal crossing meets the Sims. What does Doug Perry have to say ?

Another Takefrom Douglass C. Perry
For many years now, Microsoft and Rare have wanted to create game for all ages, including games for kids. Viva Pinata is definitely a kids’ game. That may put you off. But as opposed to the dozens of crappy kids games churned out by other publishers each year, Microsoft and Rare have made an engaging and surprisingly refreshing title. It's deep in the way that old Nintendo kids games used be, like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, even Pokemon.
Viva Pinata isn't a platformer or an RPG though. It's really a very conscious blend of The Sims, Animal Crossing and Pokemon. I like to call it a garden sim, or jokingly, a shovel simulator. But it's more than that. And the only way to really convey the gameplay of Rare's new gem is to play it. It never plays the same way twice, and it's filled with surprising AI behavior, so if you and a friend each started games simultaneously, you'd have completely different gardens within a few hours. The gameplay is deep with choices, it's very well explained (though there is an overabundance of text for a kid), and it's never slow.

mcgovern

This definite? My mam is in the states at the moment, had asked her to get me GoW but might get her to get me this instead if its region free as I have GoW pre-ordered still from sendit.com?

scrapland

mcgovern wrote:

This definite? My mam is in the states at the moment, had asked her to get me GoW but might get her to get me this instead if its region free as I have GoW pre-ordered still from sendit.com?

yep. USA version is 100% definite.