Konami officials in Japan today said the publisher would distribute a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) game to Japanese audiences starting in mid-October.

　　The game, Food Force, will be made available as a free download on Konami's Japanese Web site. This marks the game's first availability in a language other than English. The game has been available in English since April of this year.

　　Food Force centers on a fictitious island, called Sheylan, that is faced with conflict brought on by a drought. The player must join a UN World Food Program emergency relief team and deliver food aid to thousands of desperate Sheylan residents through six virtual missions.

　　The Food Force game was originally developed at the UN's World Food Program headquarters. The WFP claims that more than 2 million people in more than 40 countries have played the game since its April release.

　　The game had an original target audience for children ages 8 to 13, however, the Japanese market will get two versions. In addition to the children's version, a second version has been created for adults. Konami is backing the localization and distribution of both versions.

　　"We appreciate Konami's excellent support in producing a Japanese version of Food Force," said a WFP spokesperson.

　　The release of the game coincides with a Global School Feeding Exhibition to be held at the UN Gallery, United Nations University, in Tokyo. That exhibit is slated to take place from October 4-31. Gamers in attendance with a hankerin' for humanitarianism will be able to try the game for themselves, as it will be playable.