• The Wall Street Journal , Thursday, August 28, 2008 10:30 AM

Sony is hoping that Afrika -- a game for the PlayStation 3 videogame console it is releasing in Japan today -- will broaden its sales beyond the core audience of young male players who love action-packed games.

In an attempt at emulating Nintendo Wii's straightforward game play, players tour a virtual African safari, completing photo-taking assignments. There is no shooting, little action, no winning or losing, and not even an ending. The PS3 has the ability to render images more realistically than ever, and developers took extra care with the smallest details like the way muscles ripple when they move. But the digital renderings may not be enough by themselves to impress players, who likely have seen the real thing in zoos or through ubiquitous nature programming on television.

David Cole, an industry analyst with DFC Intelligence, says most PS3 owners are serious game players who could find Afrika too tame. "It has a lot of potential, but a lot of the consumer base that might really like that type of game may be tough to attract," he says.

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