via IGN


The latest from Sony Japan's development lab is a game that encourages players to watch rather than play. The company unveiled today Shikitei (unofficially, "Four Season Garden"), a downloadable PS3 title where you build a garden and watch what happens.

Sony refers to Shikitei as an environmental simulator rather than a game. Your objective is to design your garden, planting trees and placing lights and other items as you see fit.

There's some heavy technology going into title to drive the simulation. Tree branches and growth differ for every tree you have in your garden, all driven by computer program.

Seasonal and time changes are included as well. As winter approaches, snow will begin to build up, adapting realistically to the shape of your garden and its elements. In spring, sakura trees will grow pink; in fall, leaves will turn orange. As night approaches, you'll see reflections of the evening sky in water.

The title will feature over 150 items, including trees and even animals like cats, birds, and rabbits. As these items are obtained, they're added to a growing item encyclopedia which can be consulted at any time. Items are added through over 40 item packs that will be sold through the PlayStation Store following the main game's release.

Shikitei is being developed by Premium Agency, a firm that specializes in movie contents. Serving as producer is Rie Nakamura, who stressed in this week's issue of Famitsu that the title will have no gaming elements to it. According to Nakamura, the staff at one point considered adding game-like features such as making weeds appear if players don't take care of their garden every now and then, but these features didn't make the cut.

There appears to be plenty to do in Shikitei, though. You have full freedom when designing your garden. You can make trees speed or slow their growth in order to customize their size. There's a progressive nature to the garden's development, as trees will release seed that result in more trees, making your garden expand. As your garden expands, more animals will begin to appear.

When not planning, you can select to take a stroll through your work-in-progress. This can either be done under full control, or you can have the PS3 give you an automatic tour, pointing out the highlights. You can also take screenshots whenever you like. These are added to the PS3's photo folder and can be accessed online by other players. This online photo gallery feature appears to be the only online support for the game.

Sony is also giving the title custom soundtrack support. You'll be able to use the music stored on your PS3 as background music.

The title will ship with two garden types initially: Japanese and Western. Nakamura is hoping to, in the future, add gardens from India, Egypt and other areas of the world. She also told Famitsu that she personally thinks having ruins as a backdrop would be beautiful.

Japanese PS3 owners can look forward to Shikitei on June 26. Pricing is set for 1,500 yen for the main title. Pricing for the item packs has yet to be announced.

For a first look at the game, check out the new official Shikitei website. ...