National Geographic is getting into video games, saying that it will work with game publishers to turn its material into games for PCs, consoles and handheld devices.

Paul Levine, a National Geographic executive who will lead the new Games Division, said the outfit’s  content is extremely well-suited for a global gaming audience. The games will be drawn from a broad range of content and themes across National Geographic's properties.

The first one out of the starting gate will be "Herod's Lost Tomb," a simple hidden-objects game built on a story in the magazine's December issue and a television show about King Herod. The company is also working with Namco Bandai Games America and Sony Computer Entertainment to publish and distribute games under its brand for consoles like the Wii and the PlayStation 3.

Namco Bandai will run "National Geographic: Panda" for the handheld Nintendo DS, which will be like a virtual pet game where you take care of a panda. While the games seek to offer "entertainment with substance," Levine said he doesn't expect them to be used in schools.