Intel & Square-Enix Announce Partnership News

Intel today announced a partnership with Square-Enix in order to enhance and improve online and offline experiences on PCs, mobile phones and PDAs.<br><br>Both firms claim that all three platforms are becoming increasingly popular as game formats, with the collaboration intended to produce long-term benefits for users of the systems.<br><br>"PC and handheld online gaming are exciting segments in the gaming community," said Bill Siu, vice-president and general manager of Intel's Desktop Platform Group. "With the right software expertise, processor technologies like Hyper-Threading Technology, Intel graphics technology and Intel XScale with Wireless MMX, we can work together to develop new ways to enjoy the gaming experience on PCs and mobile devices."<br><br>"Square Enix looks forward to working with Intel over the long-term to the benefit of both companies and end-users," said Yoichi Wada, President of Square Enix. "We know that gamers are demanding and this proposed collaboration will allow both companies to create a new type of gaming experience that capitalizes on the recent advancements in video game and platform technology. We believe we can not only meet, but exceed the needs of an increasingly more sophisticated and growing interactive gaming market."<br><br>As part of this collaboration, Intel and Square Enix plan to discuss mutual product planning, development, and joint marketing opportunities. The two companies have already collaborated on improving the gaming experience of ’Final Fantasy XI’, the first cross-platform, cross-continent, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from Square Enix, on Intel Pentium 4 processor-based PCs. <br>