Afrika now gold for North American PS3s

Afrika‘s Western release has been a ludicrously long time coming, but Sony has today announced that the safari voyeur game has finally gone gold for North America. It’ll be published by Natsume and is to retail for $49.99 when it finally ships on October 6.

“We are thrilled about Afrika‘s upcoming release in North America. And it’s certainly been a pleasure working with Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios on the project,” says Natsume boss Hiro Maekawa. “Afrika is a truly unique gaming experience. Anyone can pick it up and enjoy its beauty, but it has enough depth and challenge to satisfy even the most hardcore players.”

Afrika is a wildlife photography game set in an unexplored region of Africa. Think Pokémon Snap, only with more rhinos in it. I have been unable to confirm whether or not toucans are in the game, but if they are, this is definitely a first-day purchase for me.

AFRIKA FOR PLAYSTATION 3 GOES GOLD

Natsume To Bring Visually Stunning Safari Experience To Retail October
6th

Burlingame, Calif., September 17, 2009 – Natsume Inc., a worldwide
developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, today
announced that Afrika for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment
system has gone gold. Natsume’s first title for the PLAYSTATION 3,
Afrika is a wildlife photography adventure set in a lush, unexplored
region of Africa. The game will be available at an MSRP of $49.99 and
is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

“We are thrilled about Afrika’s upcoming release in North America. And
it’s certainly been a pleasure working with Sony Computer
Entertainment Worldwide Studios on the project,” said Hiro Maekawa,
President and CEO of Natsume. “Afrika is a truly unique gaming
experience. Anyone can pick it up and enjoy its beauty, but it has
enough depth and challenge to satisfy even the most hardcore players.”

In Afrika, players step into the role of a freelance photographer
exploring a brand new African wildlife 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. Produced in
cooperation with National Geographic, Afrika features a wealth of
information about each of its animals, including footage and
photographs from the magazine.

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!

With more than 70 animals to find, over 100 missions to complete, and
endless replayability, Afrika offers the safari experience of a
lifetime!

For more information, please visit www.natsume.com.