Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, today announced that it will publish "AFRIKA" for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The company's first title for PLAYSTATION®3, "AFRIKA" takes players on a photographic safari of Africa and its exotic animals. The game will be available at retail early fall 2009.

"We are very excited to be releasing "AFRIKA" in North America, and thrilled to be working with Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios," said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume. "The team has put an incredible amount of work into replicating the African safari experience, and the results are simply breathtaking."

In "AFRIKA", players step into the role of a freelance photographer exploring a brand new conservation area. They'll document the wildlife and photograph incredible sights such as a titanic clash between hippopotamuses, a pride of lions watching over its playful cubs, and a cheetah's lightning-fast chase as it runs down its prey! All of the game's animals and environments are rendered in photorealistic detail with animals that move, behave, and interact with each other just like their real-world counterparts.

The photography in the game is as meticulously modeled as the animals themselves; players will need to learn from the game's innovative photo-grading system and compose their photographs with the eye of a professional photographer if they want to earn top dollar. The money they earn can be used to purchase new licensed lenses, cameras, and safari equipment. If players are good enough, they just might find their photograph on the cover of National Geographic.

Produced in cooperation with National Geographic, "AFRIKA" features a wealth of information about each of its animals, including footage and photographs from the magazine!
 

Players can take a safari with "AFRIKA" when it ships to retail early fall 2009.