Wild Earth (video game)

Wild Earth is a safari video game and motion simulator ride by Super X Studios. The player photographs 30 types of animals as a photojournalist in Serengeti National Park. It was first released as an online video game in France on March 17, 2006, and in North America on April 24, 2006. Akella published the game for Microsoft Windows as Safari Photo Africa: Wild Earth on September 18, 2006, and Ubisoft published it as Wild Earth: Photo Safari in November 2006, while Xplosiv published it as Wild Earth: Africa on April 5, 2007. Majesco later published a Wii version, Wild Earth: African Safari, in 2008. The game was also installed as a motion simulator ride in multiple American zoos. It won several awards including the grand prize at the 2003 Independent Games Festival.

Wild Earth
Developer(s)Super X
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, motion simulation rides, Wii
ReleaseOnline
Windows
  • FRA: March 16, 2006
  • RU: September 18, 2006
  • NA: November 16, 2006
  • EU: April 5, 2007
Wii
  • NA: April 22, 2008
  • AU: September 12, 2008
  • EU: 2008
Genre(s)Motion simulator
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay
Screenshot of gameplay

Wild Earth is a safari video game in which players explore and photograph African safari environments.[3] The player acts as a photojournalist in Serengeti National Park and is set to photograph 30 different types of animals, from hyenas to rhinoceroses. In the Wii version, the controller rumbles when the player strays too close to the animals, which affects the camera's steadiness.[4] The game was also installed as a motion simulation ride at zoos including the Philadelphia Zoo, Zoo Miami, and San Diego Zoo.[5]

Development

Super X, an indie developer based in Seattle, built Wild Earth for release on Microsoft Windows and supposedly Xbox, before the latter version was later canceled in 2005 or early 2006. The team won the game design innovation, visual art innovation, and grand prize at the Independent Games Festival in 2003.[3] They had previously worked on Far Gate, which won the audience award at the same festival in 2000.[6] In December 2005, Wild Earth's production was complete but Super X ended its agreement with British publisher Digital Jesters when the latter was being restructured.[3] The game was released as an online video game in 2006.[1][2] Russian game developer Akella published the game for release on September 18, 2006. A bit later, Super X announced that Ubisoft would publish the game. They released the game a week later, on November 16, 2006.[5] A later agreement with Discovery Channel and Animal Planet brought the game to Europe, where it was published by Xplosiv on April 5, 2007. In 2008, Majesco announced a related and Wii-exclusive version of the title, Wild Earth: African Safari.[4]

On March 23, 2022, the game was re-released on Steam as Wild Earth - Africa.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7][8]

References
  1. Romendil (March 16, 2006). "Test: Safari Photo En Afrique". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  2. "Wild Earth is Here". GameZone. April 24, 2006. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  3. Carless, Simon (December 1, 2005). "IGF Winner Super X Moves Wild Earth From Digital Jesters". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  4. Alexander, Leigh (December 13, 2007). "Majesco Announces Wii Exclusive Photo Safari Title". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  5. "Super X Studios Announces that Safari Photo Africa: Wild Earth Will Be Published by Ubisoft". GameZone. November 7, 2006. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  6. "Super X Studios Makes the Cut Again". GameZone. December 11, 2002. Archived from the original on March 14, 2005. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  7. "Wild Earth: Photo Safari Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  8. "Wild Earth: African Safari Critic Reviews for Wii". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  9. Allen, Darren (April 30, 2007). "PC Game Roundup". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  10. Reiner, Andrew (July 2008). "Wild Earth: African Safari". Game Informer. No. 183. GameStop. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  11. Fouquet, Gaël (June 14, 2006). "Test : Safari Photo : le devoir de réserve". Gamekult (in French). TF1 Group. Archived from the original on January 1, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  12. Hollingshead, Anise (July 17, 2006). "Wild Earth: African Safari [sic] - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  13. Zacarias, Eduardo (May 5, 2008). "Wild Earth: African Safari - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  14. Casamassina, Matt (June 4, 2008). "Wild Earth: African Safari Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  15. dharn (October 6, 2008). "Test: Wild Earth : African Safari". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  16. "Wild Earth Africa". PC Format. No. 200. Future plc. May 2007. p. 67.
  17. Meer, Alec (May 2007). "Wild Earth Africa". PC Gamer UK. Future plc. p. 90. Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  18. "Safari Photo Africa: Wild Earth". PC Zone. Future plc. October 2006. p. 82.
  19. Orry, Tom (May 16, 2007). "Wild Earth [Africa] Review [date mislabeled as "June 6, 2021"]". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  20. Gudmundsen, Jinny (June 26, 2008). "Roam the Serengeti in 'Wild Earth African Safari'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
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