Geography and science meet the world of gaming in the National Geographic Society’s newest project.

The organization, known for its magazine and nature television shows, is forming a new division through its for-profit unit, National Geographic Ventures, which will release games for consoles and handheld, online and mobile platforms.

National Geographic Games has already published its first title, “Herod’s Lost Tomb.” The game, released Tuesday for PC, Mac and the iPhone, is based on a story that will be published in the magazine’s December issue, as well as a TV special on the biblical king.

“Our global audiences love to play games, and we plan on creating games in-house as well as working with leading global publishers to develop entertaining games that engage those audiences in a relevant way,” said Paul Levine, the head of National Geographic’s new games division.

Upcoming games, made in partnership with outside developers, include “National Geographic: Panda” and “National Geographic: Africa.”






Related Stories: