Square Enix announces digital tech partnership

Software publisher and developer Square Enix has announced a new partnership with electronics giant Matsushita which will see the two companies working on a hardware/software platform to simplify and speed up multi-device content development.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Matsushita will work to integrate Square Enix' middleware platform, SEAD (Square Enix Application on Demand) engine, into its existing Uniphier platform, which can target a range of devices, including televisions, DVD recorders, portable music players and mobile phones.

According to Matsushita, using its Uniphier platform drastically reduces development time for both software and hardware compared to building from scratch. The two companies plan to create a prototype by summer, expecting to launch a marketable product by the end of 2007.

Yoichi Wada of Square Enix commented: "We believe this collaboration will enable out two companies to provide new and highly accessible forms of entertainment to our customers."