The National Geographic Society is looking to further invest in the games market after providing funding for Namco Bandai’s upcoming Panda title.

With Panda, a simulation in the vein of Nintendogs, hitting the shelves next month, the National Geographic Society has announced the formation of National Geographic Games (NGG), an offshoot division dedicated exclusively to game development.

NGG has already announced a partnership with Namco Bandai and Sony Computer Entertainment to produce games for all current generation platforms as well as mobile devices.

Former Take-Two and Bethesda executive Chris Mate will serve as the label's general manager, overseeing daily operations at the studio.