Square Enix Group Leads Console-Quality Browser Gaming With Google Chrome

TOKYO, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Square Enix Group, an integrated entertainment group, today announced its first game title developed with Native Client, an open-source technology for running native compiled code in the browser. Launching with Native Client was made possible by the close work between the Square Enix Group and Google, who share a similar vision for bringing immersive applications to the web within the browser. Yoichi Wada, chief executive officer of Square Enix Holdings, presented the group's first title, Mini Ninjas®, at a Native Client event held at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California to showcase the Square Enix Group's commitment to industry-leading innovation in the browser.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030403/SQUARELOGO)

"Gaming in the browser greatly expands the video game market to new consumers, devices and platforms," commented Mr. Wada. "Native Client enables the same consumer experience in the browser as in a native application. With the power of this technology, Square Enix is pushing the boundaries of the browser gaming market to include high quality games in addition to our popular portfolio of casual games."

"We're excited to see developers such as Square Enix bring their rich, immersive content to the web with Native Client," said Ian Ellison-Taylor, Director of Web Platform at Google. "Online games are a great showcase for the power of the open-source Native Client technology as it enables demanding applications such as console-quality games to run seamlessly and securely inside the browser."

The first title to be launched, Mini Ninjas will be entering an open beta in December without download or installation of game software, bringing high definition, console-quality gaming to the Chrome Web Store.* Mini Ninjas charts the journey of Hiro, the world's smallest hero on his biggest quest, as he embarks on an epic quest to restore harmony to a world on the brink of chaos. Guests invited to today's Google launch event are able to play a demo of Mini Ninjas for Chrome.

Additional titles from Square Enix's group-wide lineup are planned to be made available in the browser within the next year.

To learn more about Mini Ninjas for Chrome, please visit www.minininjas.com.

*In order to play the Mini Ninjas open beta, you will need an upcoming beta version of Chrome (Chrome 17), which will be available in the coming weeks.

About Square Enix Group

The Square Enix Group leads a diverse range of content and service businesses as an integrated entertainment group. The Group develops, publishes, distributes and licenses entertainment content around the world under its internationally renowned brands including SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS ® and TAITO® and operates a global network of leading development studios located in North America, Europe and Japan. The Group also boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 59 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®.

More information on the Square Enix Group can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eng/

DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, MINI NINJAS, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group.  

Contact (press and industry analysts only):
Square Enix Group

(Tokyo)
Yuka Ejima /  Misa Tokunaga
+81-3-5333-0926
ccir@square-enix.com

(London)
Chris Glover
+44 -0-7799-775640
[email protected]

(Los Angeles)
Chris Hohman
+1-310-321-6118
ccir@square-enix.com

SOURCE SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS CO., LTD.