14 DAY TRIAL // Publisher Majesco is announcing that it is preparing to release its first casual game for the PC market, called Orchard. The game is being developed by BoomZap Entertainment, which recently also created the game Zen Fashion, and will likely be done in time for the release sometime near the holiday season.
From the initial information provided by the publisher, the game seems to be firmly set in the now usual formula of the so-called "casual" games. The player needs to perform several tasks in the same order over and over again to satisfy game goals, while trying to perfect his technique to attain high scores or another form of recognition.
The game puts you in the position of inheriting an orchard, which was once thriving and blossoming. The problem is that it is now derelict and in desperate need of care. The task at hand is to take over the orchard business and make sure that you return it to its former splendor. To reach the goal, Majesco says that the game will allow players to "hire and manage workers, plant and harvest crops, construct processing and storage facilities, and advertise and sell products in your efforts to make a profit."
A cooking minigame could not be avoided, so you also get to use the fruits from the trees in the orchard to create more than 20 recipes, mostly of fruit pies, which can be used to win pie related awards that the player can collect.
The Cooking Mama connection is quite strong because Majesco has handled publishing duties on the title created by Office Create when the game arrived on gaming consoles and on handhelds.
Gui Karyo, executive vice president of operations for Majesco, stated: "Targeted at casual gaming fans, Orchard integrates business and resource management with addictive simulation play that PC gamers will find both challenging and entertaining." In other words, Majesco really wants to deliver addiction in a digital form. Let's just hope they make it an interesting addiction rather than the casual-boring type.