Quick explanation first so that everybody starts out on the same page. When we say that a game has "gone gold," all that means is that it's now finalized and is ready to be manufactured into the game copies we see at retail. It has nothing to do with how many copies the game has sold. Now that that's out of the way, let's get on to the news. Natsume has announced that Afrika has gone gold.

We still haven't heard anything about a possible North American release for Sony's Afrika. SCEE has also said that they have no plans to release the game in Europe. So what other course is left for the gamer who wants to play this title in English? Here comes Asia to the rescue.

With one simple sentence, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has dashed hopes of Afrika being Europe-bound by next year. A spokesperson from SCEE has reiterated that Sony will not be bringing the safari-themed photojournalism game to Europe. Details after the jump.

What is Afrika? All we know right now is that it's a PS3 game being developed by Rhino Studios and that Wataru Hokoyama will be scoring it. This lack of information may soon change, though, as Sony Computer Entertainment has finally given the game a "coming soon" teaser page.

Does the name Wataru Hokoyama ring a bell? It might, considering he's a Japanese composer based in Los Angeles.  Mr. Hokoyama was responsible  for composing the original musical score of  several Emmy-award winning films. He's also the composer who will be working on the orchestration for Sony Computer Entertainment's upcoming game, Afrika.

More on Mr. Hokoyama after the jump!

While the debate on whether or not games should be classified as works of art is still raging on, Afrika for the PlayStation 3 might just be the game to settle the score once and for all. Not only does it feature one of the more mysterious continents of our planet, but it also lets players - both armchair zoologists and animal lovers alike - see the untamed beauty of the wild without any of the danger that comes with it. We see all that and more in the Tokyo Game Show 2007 trailer of Sony's Afrika.

In this video, we see quite a lot of the many species we'll be able to interact with in Afrika. From the humble lemur to the awesome lion, everything looks and acts pretty much like their real life counterparts. The environments (as well as the transition between day to afternoon) look very realistic and very convincing - the sunset, in particular, is quite something to behold.

This brings up a question about nightfall, however: how would the game handle this time of day where the predators start hunting? We all know that you won't be able to do anything violent to the animals (and rightly so), but what about the animals themselves? Time will only tell, and in the meantime, let's just marvel once more at the beauty of Afrika. Enjoy!

Remember Afrika? No, not the continent. Not the old Toto song, too. It's been quite a long time since it was first shown during the Sony press conference at E3 last year, and we still have almost no info on this title.

During last week's GDC, Pro-G had the chance to talk to Sony Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison, and one of the topics that came up was Afrika.

Harrison coyly sidestepped the question, and instead lauded Pro-G's idea about the title being integrated into the PlayStation Home as a kind of Safari holiday.

"That's actually a good idea," said Harrison. "The game designers on Afrika are being deliberately coy about the game experience. I know what it is; I've seen it and I know it's going to be a very interesting gaming experience."

Harrison also declined to be reveal any dates, but did tell Pro-G to "hold on just a little bit more." Typical corporate speech, but hopefully more details will surface about this beautiful-looking title soon.

Famitsu had a little chat with the head of Sony Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison, and found that the company's vast array of international studios now has around 190 titles in development for PlayStation3, PlayStation 2, PSP, and other systems. And out of all those games, 100 titles are being developed for the PlayStation 3. We don't need to be math experts to know that's a whole lot of titles! Then again, it doesn't really come as any wonder at all considering that Sony's focus has clearly shifted to the new generation of gaming.

Asked to name game titles that he will most recommend, Harrison blurts out Resistance and Level-5's White Knight Story. He notes that these are getting lots of attention worldwide. But here's the interesting bit. The Famitsu interviewer asked about Sony's mysterious Afrika title. Harrison's mysterious reply?

"Afrika is a perfect example of a game that expresses the crossing point of real and virtual."

Well, that doesn't say much. But it does leave a lot to our imaginations! From the way they're keeping it under wraps, we can be definitely sure this game's gonna blow us away. Keep it here for more updates on Sony's safari game.

One of the more exciting sights during the TGS was SCEA's title featuring faithful replications of Africa's flora and fauna. With a working title Afrika, we say 'more' because it didn't fail to cause stir among spectators despite lack of details. However, the unexpected brief chat with SCE Worldwide Studios Head Phil Harrison temporarily quenches this information drought.

When asked what Afrika is really all about, Harrison immediately answers, "Africa allows you to experience a very interesting part of the world, a safari in the plains of Africa. The gameplay is entirely non-violent. You don't kill the animals. It emphasizes the positives rather than the negatives."

Also, if you happen to have watched Afrika's trailer, you might be wondering what's up with the guy riding a jeep at the end?  Harrison divulges that it would be one of the people gamers will control. "It's about collecting experiences and keeping them for posterity," he added.

On a related news, Harrison admits retailers in the U.S. vastly prefer the 60 gigabyte, $599 PlayStation3 model. That, according to him, is one of the main reasons why the US price did not get the same price cut as with the Japanese'. He talked as well about "magic price points," saying the original price received positive feedback everywhere else except in Japan.

If you love African wildlife and exotic, untamed sceneries, you will definitely love Afrika! The trailer is an amazing proof of what the PS3 graphics will be once it is set loose on the civilized world. The animals are shown in breathtaking almost real-as-life rendition. All that's lacking is the smell of wildlife poop.

Unfortunately, the trailer still reveals nothing about Afrika as a game. But we do know that it will feature carnivores, so there's going to be blood in there somewhere.

The cheetah chasing down the gazelle had us at the edge of our seat, but the hip editing left us relieved at not seeing what happens to the antelope once the cheetah overtook it. We're also quite disappointed because we didn't see what happened to the antelope when the cheetah overtook it.

Like we said, as long as Afrika is not an FPS, this game is going to be on our shopping bag as soon as it is released.

Download: [Afrika: PS3 Game Trailer]