Namco has announced the release of Antiques Roadshow on PC for $9.99, with the iPad version of the game becoming available early next year.
Following the popular PBS television series, the charming new Hidden Object game includes 30 visually stunning locations with hundreds of antique items. The player guides Julia, a history teacher hired at an antiques shop, through an adventure of lost items and photos as she pieces together the story behind the shop and its owner, Mr. Hinton. As Julia finds the objects, a back story unfolds revealing its historical significance.
Each location features items in need of refurbishing that players can perform through five unique minigames. Players can then take the items to Antiques Roadshow for appraisal to determine their true value, further propelling the story. The treasure hunts throughout the distinct venues and minigames leave clues aiding her in her mysterious journey.
“We wanted to bring the thrill of discovering unexpectedly valuable items as seen on the show, directly to the player’s home,” commented Carlson Choi, vice president of marketing at Namco Networks. “Following the PC launch will be the iPad version early next year, making the game accessible to handheld devices.”
The hit television show began in 1977 and currently generates almost 10 million weekly viewers in the U.S. Antiques Roadshow is the first game Namco has published through a licensing agreement with WGBH and BBC. “Namco’s genius is in taking the most iconic elements of the Antiques Roadshow TV format -” narrative, exploration, discovery, and surprise -” and using them to create something completely new and fresh,” said Antiques Roadshow executive producer Marsha Bemko.
A free 60-minute trial can be downloaded at namcogames.com/pc_games prior to the game being available on other casual PC game portals, including but not limited to Big Fish Games, Inc. and GameHouse.
