Intel and Square Enix are teaming up to make it possible to play Final Fantasy XI on what they term as “mainstream” consumer PCs. Intel is hyping up their own 915G Express chipset which is supported by an integrated graphics technology to being compatible with the Final Fantasy XI experience. Yoichi Wada, President of Square Enix, had this to say:

“Combining Intel’s integrated graphics technology and Square Enix’s software technology, we can enable more consumers with affordably priced PCs to play FINAL FANTASY XI, a game which requires intense graphics performance. We are so pleased with the timing as FINAL FANTASY XI and the expansion pack, Chains of Promathia, are both now open to European gamers. The expansion pack is already available to Japanese users and will soon be released to other supported regions such as North America, making FINAL FANTASY XI a truly global experience. We hope to provide new gaming experiences on various PC platforms with the continued collaboration between the two companies.”

This shows a good sign that game makers and video card makers are finally finding some common ground. Your average consumer does not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a new video card just to play one or two games. Since there are a great number of PCs sold with integrated graphics, it only makes sense to work harder to create a total package that best benefits the consumer, not the wallet of some company big-wig.