Usually titles from the Nintendo platforms head towards the Microsoft’s Xbox 360. But it is very uncommon to see thing happening the other way round. But earlier this year it was announced that Microsoft Games Studios’ Viva Pinata would be released on the Nintendo DS. Now in an interview with Developmag, MGS general manager has stated that they let Rare work on the DS version of Viva Pinata as it would help them maintain design innovation talents.
Phil Spencer is the GM of Microsoft Game Studios. He told Develop, “Rare has a history in making handheld games, and titles for Nintendo platforms. When we acquired the studio that expertise was there and the team was there. As Microsoft we had a discussion, do we want to build that expertise? We decided yes. Not so much because we need to support Nintendo, their platform will do fine without us, but because it is important for us to build that experience as a publisher and game developer and understand what it means to build lightweight, maybe shorter session experiences, and maintain that design innovation.”
Not only that, Spencer also mentioned that the whole gaming industry can learn a lot of lessons, especially from the shorter-session games that the DS and Wii have introduced to games.