video game: Sony PlayStation Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game franchise owned by Square Enix. Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi in 1987, the series consists mainly of role-playing video games but also includes spin-off games of various genres, anime, movies, comics, action figures and other promotional merchandise. The initial game was so named because Sakaguchi intended it to be the final game he ever developed for the industry, but it became so successful that sequels quickly followed. Sakaguchi credits games such as The Legend of Zelda, Ultima and Dragon Quest as his inspirations. Selling over 100 million copies since its inception, Final Fantasy is one of the top grossing video game franchises of all time. The series is recognized for popularizing console RPGs outside of Japan, and its innovative gameplay remains highly influential in the genre. The series is also well known for its sweeping musical score, much of which is composed by renowned musician Nobuo Uematsu, and its highly distinctive artwork, produced by Yoshitaka Amano. While some direct sequels exist, the majority of Final Fantasy games introduce brand new characters and settings. The series is instead linked by common themes and gameplay. Most games include a large battle between an overarching Good and Evil, and the protagonists often belong to a rebellion against a government or overlord. The existence of two villains is also common. Players may spend three-quarters or more of the game fighting who they think is the primary antagonist, only to discover a greater evil pulling the strings. Items such as crystals and orbs make frequent appearances, and they are generally linked in some way to the world itself or its creation. Gameplay includes many staples of the RPG genre, such as random encounters, leveling up for experience, job classes, and an emphasis on spell casting. The hero is always supported in his or her quest by a group of followers, and battles generally include up to four members of this party. Square released the seventh game in the series, titled Final Fantasy VII, on Sony����_��s PlayStation in 1997. Aside from being the first Final Fantasy game originally designed for PlayStation consoles, FFVII is also widely regarded as the most recognizable title in the franchise. Final Fantasy VII features Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, and six additional playable characters. Cloud must battle the sinister villain Sephiroth as he attempts to become a god by draining the Lifestream from the planet. The game is the first entry to occur in a futuristic landscape, and marks the beginning of 3D character models being used in the Final Fantasy series. Additionally, Sephiroth became the most popular villain in the entire franchise. It also became the first break-out console RPG hit in Ameri Prior to FFVII, most US gamers considered RPGs to be a niche genre, and very few proved more than moderately successful in the country. But FFVII became so popular it opened the door for an influx of new RPGs, which brought international success not only to the Final Fantasy franchise, but to the genre as a whole. Final Fantasy VII was so well-received that it spawned a CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, along with several games that function as prequels and sequels to the original entry. Selling over 10 million copies, Final Fantasy VII is the highest grossing game in the franchise.