Microsoft sends word that the Viva Piñata demo has been released on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Gold members today. Silver members will be able to download the demo next week.

If you haven’t escaped to Piñata Island yet, now is the time. The official Viva Piñata demo has arrived on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and is waiting for you! Now is the chance to meet many of the more than 60 species of Piñata featured in Viva Piñata, the Xbox 360 game that everyone will enjoy. Head over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace today to meet these extraordinary creatures!

The playable demo will be available exclusively to Xbox LIVE Gold members for one week and then made available to all subscribers afterward. This demo will provide you with the opportunity to visit Piñata Island, where you’ll pick up a shovel and a watering can to transform a barren plot of land into a paradise to attract wild-roaming Piñata animals looking for a home. Enjoy a vibrant world where you create and customize your own environment to attract and care for wild Piñatas. As your reputation and garden grows, you’ll attract new, more exotic Piñatas, each with their own unique style and personality. You can even buy houses for your Piñatas!

Created by world-renowned video game developer Rare Ltd, Viva Piñata is packed with hundreds of personalization options: name your Piñatas, decide where to plant grass and flowers, hire helpers to help run your Piñata paradise and more. The colorful, fully customizable game takes you into a world with all kinds of possibilities. And no two games are ever the same. From hardcore gamers to families looking for a fun time together, Viva Piñata is an experience not to be missed.

The playable demo provides a taste of what’s available in the Xbox 360 game, which is available at stores for a suggested retail price of $49.00. This demo will be available in the U.S. only on Tuesday, March 13. Localized versions of this demo will follow soon after in Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.