Namco unveils National Geographic Panda

Due this fall, a new Nintendogs-esque DS game will teach gamers ecological awareness by having them raise cubs of the endangered species; first screens inside.

National Geographic Panda

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Ever since China began loaning pandas to the West in 1958, the adorable ursines have been star attractions at zoos in North America and Europe. Now, game publisher Namco Bandai and the famed National Geographic Society are hoping to use the black and white bamboo munchers' appeal to sell games--and raise awareness about their endangered-species status.

As part of its Gamers Day events this week, Namco announced National Geographic Panda, a new DS game set for release this fall. The game will be a Nintendogs-like title where players raise and care for their own panda cubs in a wildlife park. As with other creature-rearing sims, players' treatment of their pandas will determine how they behave. To keep them happy, National Geographic Panda will offer a range of toys and treats for players to purchase with a daily allowance. Players will be encouraged to play with their pandas, as neglecting them will eventually make them so unruly and despondent, they will run away.

National Geographic Panda is the first game project by National Geographic Ventures, the society's commercial arm whose centerpiece is the iconic National Geographic Magazine. The game will feature articles and photos from the publication loaded with facts about pandas, their habits and behavior, and their natural habitat in the Chinese mountains--which is under increasing pressure from human development. Each day a gamer plays the game, he or she will unlock new pieces of content from the game's library.

National Geographic Panda is due out this fall, but has not yet been rated or priced. It is being billed as the National Geographic Society's first game venture in its 120-year history. However, video offerings from the National Geographic Channel are currently available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

43 Comments

  • strangeseraph

    Posted Dec 9, 2008 4:00 am PT

    I think this will be great! For all the h8ers out there, this is targeted towards students in school, young people, not 18+ people. Its there to raise awareness about panda endangerment and its for a good cause!

    Full marks for me, even if I don't end up playing the game, it supports a good cause!

  • zhivago_x

    Posted Apr 18, 2008 1:19 am PT

    Remembering the fact that when I was a kid, me and my father used to watch National Geographic documentaries together I think this is a great idea.

  • talonkard044

    Posted Apr 18, 2008 12:42 am PT

    How cute!!

    AWWW!!

  • acsam12304

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:13 pm PT

    But is someone really going to pay like $55-$65 for a boring game, if you can just buy a book about Pandas?

    if you are 18 and over buy a book about Pandas right now. Dont give me that BS about you dont have time to read, Because if you start playing this game for info about Pandas that means YOU DO have time to read a book about Pandas. It just means you are a lazy bum that don't want to read.

    Plus you will save time when you read a book about it. You dont have to wait for anything to load and you can just open up the book and start reading where you left off.

  • gonzalezj1

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 6:08 pm PT

    Uh-oh. Don't tell my wife.

  • Rayk3400

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 5:38 pm PT

    Emos like pandas for unknown reason.

  • acsam12304

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 5:33 pm PT

    plus that is why it is called "comment"
    I am just stating my comment lol
    I should make a game about monkey's so i can get rich off people. Namco and Bandai sucks now .. I mean Namco was better off with out BanDai. The only reason I get a BanDai was for it's Gundam games but thats all

    Namco makes better games then BanDai like Ace Combat and Ridge Racer etc...

    Namco took in BanDai, means that Namco gets all the BanDai game makers which mean that Namco-BanDai makes sucky games now and that to me is hurting Namco's name really bad, buy it hey i could care less about this game and others a like im just stating my opinion.. if you like it fine buy it

    How many kids will want to play a game like this Panda game? It does not mean it's just because it's a video game that kids will want to play it... Not really i know a lot of little kids from by my mom's friends that are around 7-10 years old, that plays Halo, GTA, Area 51, etc and I don't see a game about Nature. Not just my mom's friend when i use to pick up my little sister from school when she was in 4th and 5th grade. I heard a lot of kids talk about Halo, and how they blew up that car from GTA: Vice City, and i dont see them talk about Nature at all.

  • starwars0000

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 4:13 pm PT

    buckybuckster
    Great idea

  • buckybuckster

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 12:17 pm PT

    Pandas are cute and all but i'd rather see a game where you get to raise monkeys. You could train them to sling poo around all day.

  • ichiban30

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 11:10 am PT

    pandas are pretty sweet

  • Link_86_1

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 9:35 am PT

    Pandas aren't retarded animals. It's like a dude that can't pee in a public place. And if it wasn't for the retarded humans, then they wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place.

  • Jamaipanese

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 8:59 am PT

    lol @ retarded pandas comment

  • BigDaddy973

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:35 am PT

    Cool! But more animals besides pandas?

  • 02sfraser

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:12 am PT

    awww it looks really nice quite weird a project though haha

  • PandaBear86

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 7:08 am PT

    Cool. Being somebody with 'Panda' in their screen name, I'm all happy for this.

  • goat_god_3

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 5:02 am PT

    its cool to see the video game indusry branching out and going for these new target audiences.

    Hopefully soon we would be able to walk into a hmv and see a game section more like their movie sections. Not just a best sellers and new release shelves, but thousands of games.... good and bad .... obscure and renound ofering moves that highlight the good and the bad that the industry has produced since it first started....

    ....i have a dream
    .....cast

  • liesandpies

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 4:43 am PT

    Even if the game itself was worse then Big Rigs, it would still sell like hotcakes.

  • zoe256

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 1:41 am PT

    Aww! Pandas are awesome.

  • cooldude03

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 1:16 am PT

    Nintendogs was good for about 2 hours, then I never played it again. I think this time I'll skip the 2 hours.

  • KillerJuan77

    Posted Apr 17, 2008 1:11 am PT

    This is much better than Nintendogs

  • rain07ke

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 11:39 pm PT

    okay....
    0_o

  • indigoAK200

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 10:56 pm PT

    Gah, you people are quoting 300 in comments about a post regarding a Panda video game. At least quote a movie worth quoting; or try to stay on topic. =/

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 10:21 pm PT

    okay why not i think its a good simulation game, great way for people to know everything about a panda.

  • Baruch_S

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 10:13 pm PT

    Uh... why?

  • OtterX

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 8:13 pm PT

    As said to Jin in the toy shop on a recent episode of Lost, "Everyone loves a Panda!"

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:58 pm PT

    A Panda game... how cute...

  • dukerav

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:37 pm PT

    Does this include showing pandas other pandas getting it on? JK, but seriously I saw thats one way they get male pandas in the mood to mate, with female pandas, saw it on my local news of all places.

  • speedjunkie4

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:34 pm PT

    Oooookay.....

  • bulletsword

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:27 pm PT

    doesn't sound like a bad game at all

  • armyofrobots

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:12 pm PT

    acsam12304--- Namco and Bandai sucks now .. I mean Namco was better off with out BanDai. The only reason I get a BanDai was for it's Gundam games but thats all.

    Namco makes better games then BanDai like Ace Combat and Ridge Racer etc...

    Namco took in BanDai, means that Namco gets all the BanDai game makers which mean that Namco-BanDai makes sucky games now and that to me is hurting Namco's name really bad, buy it hey i could care less about this game and others a like im just stating my opinion.. if you like it fine buy it.

    How many kids will want to play a game like this Panda game? It does not mean it's just because it's a video game that kids will want to play it... Not really i know a lot of little kids from by my mom's friends that are around 7-10 years old, that plays Halo, GTA, Area 51, etc and I don't see a game about Nature. Not just my mom's friend when i use to pick up my little sister from school when she was in 4th and 5th grade. I heard a lot of kids talk about Halo, and how they blew up that car from GTA: Vice City, and i dont see them talk about Nature at all. ----------------------

    um. I'm 23 years old and I want to play this game. If you don't want to see a game about nature, then don't play it. Just like, I don't want to play Halo, so I don't. The gaming world does not revolve around you or your friends.

  • acsam12304 posted Apr 16, 2008 6:20 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    acsam12304

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:20 pm PT (hide)

    Namco and Bandai sucks now .. I mean Namco was better off with out BanDai. The only reason I get a BanDai was for it's Gundam games but thats all.



    Namco makes better games then BanDai like Ace Combat and Ridge Racer etc...

    Namco took in BanDai, means that Namco gets all the BanDai game makers which mean that Namco-BanDai makes sucky games now and that to me is hurting Namco's name really bad, buy it hey i could care less about this game and others a like im just stating my opinion.. if you like it fine buy it.



    How many kids will want to play a game like this Panda game? It does not mean it's just because it's a video game that kids will want to play it... Not really i know a lot of little kids from by my mom's friends that are around 7-10 years old, that plays Halo, GTA, Area 51, etc and I don't see a game about Nature. Not just my mom's friend when i use to pick up my little sister from school when she was in 4th and 5th grade. I heard a lot of kids talk about Halo, and how they blew up that car from GTA: Vice City, and i dont see them talk about Nature at all.

  • ise1880

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:17 pm PT

    "this is SPARTA" then sparten kick a panda.

  • Maeros4

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:09 pm PT

    ACSAM: I expected reactions like that but have you played this game... who knows mayby it can be fun for adults to play since its made by namco bandai and the national geographic magazine is a world class magazine, i expect that collaberation would make a good game. Most importantly is cant you see the benefit of this game to young and older children to learn a little bit about nature and in this case endangered pandas... or is it that you just dont care? Children these days dont read books and parents dont have the time to read books about subjects like this to their children... kids do however play with their videogame consoles and handhelds so what better way to bring this information in to their hands with a bit of fun.
    Sorry by the way for the not so good English

    Probely waisted my time writing this because i hardly think you care but who knows

  • Dogar230

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:06 pm PT

    There should be a cameo appearance by the Pandaren Drunken Brawler from Warcraft 3 in here. That would rock.

    "Now YOU'RE endangered!"
    "It's gonna get GRIZZLY!"
    "How bout some ale?"

  • acsam12304 posted Apr 16, 2008 6:01 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    acsam12304

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 6:01 pm PT (hide)

    Isn't this like that DS game Nintendogs?



    And an other thing ( Vash67) I dont hate Pandas, but I could careless about them, and also I hate Penguins... and i hate the fact they make a stupid Penguin movie all the time.



    What a good way to make money off fools. ( I'll do the same thing but make a game with bufflo instead. LMAO!!) [ go ahead rank me low for my comment. LOL]

  • jcm72

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:58 pm PT

    This makes me a sad panda.

  • DevilMustCry

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:58 pm PT

    Slap Panda onto anything and people will buy it.
    Pandas are to animals as Root Beer is to drinks, straight up awesome.

  • Maeros4

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:57 pm PT

    Great idea! great way to reach out to younger people.

  • armyofrobots

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:55 pm PT

    I cannot wait for this.

    I love pandas.

  • Vash67

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:42 pm PT

    Everybody loves pandas, so props on that idea. But not everyone cared for Nintendogs and it's style of play. If they can spice up the game a bit, it could have great potential. And then we might have a sequel.... about penguins. EVERYBODY loves penguins.

  • CodingGenius Site moderator

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:14 pm PT

    This could be a great game, especially if it doesn't target itself too young. If the facts they include are interesting for adults, I would definitely pick it up.

  • madcapper248

    Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:12 pm PT

    Are you freakin' kidding?

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