September 8th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

Portion of an interview with Justin Cook below…

How will the new VP be accessible to non-hardcore gamers, while at the same time keep Rare’s avid fans smiling?

We’ve added a load of features for out hardcore fans. For example each piñata can now learn two tricks, this makes them more valuable but it’s also a requirement for sending some piñata off to parties. For the people who are new to piñata we have a Just For Fun mode where the game has been stripped back to a very basic version. This allows players to have a fast-forward game and see lots of new piñata quickly without them eating each other or getting into fights. There’s unlimited cash so you can go to town dressing the piñata and the garden to your own personal tastes.

How much bigger and varied are your options as a gardener now?

We’ve given the player 30ish new species, two new areas to trap piñata, a complete new challenge system and a whole heap of new tools, tweaks and improvements to make the game bigger and more friendly to play. There’s lots more to do with your piñata once they have become resident this time and our testing team have taken twice as long to play through it all. It’s a very large game if you want to see it all.

Full interview here