Final Fantasy is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. It centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games (RPGs), but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise. The first game in the series, published in 1987, was conceived by Sakaguchi as his last-ditch effort in the game industry; the title was a success and spawned sequels. The video game series has since branched into other genres. Although most Final Fantasy installments are supposedly independent stories with different settings and main characters, they feature identical elements that define the franchise. Plots center on a group of heroes battling a great evil while exploring the characters' internal struggles and relationships. The series has been commercially and critically successful; it is Square Enix's best selling video game franchise, with more than 100 million units sold, and one of the best-selling video game franchises. It was awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2006, and holds seven Guinness World Records in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. It has also introduced many features now common in role-playing video games and has been credited with helping to popularize console-based RPGs in markets outside Japan.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1892:

The first performance of the fairy tale-ballet The Nutcracker was held at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker

1912:

Amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson announced the discovery of fossilised remains of a previously unknown early human, known as Piltdown Man, which later turned out to be a hoax. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piltdown_Man

1939:

Second World War: The German Luftwaffe victory over the Royal Air Force in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight greatly influenced both sides' future air strategy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Heligoland_Bight_(1939)

1966:

Epimetheus (pictured), one of the moons of Saturn, was discovered, but was mistaken as Janus. It took 12 years to determine that they are two distinct objects sharing the same orbit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimetheus_(moon)

1996:

The school board of Oakland, California, passed a controversial resolution officially declaring African American Vernacular English as a separate language or dialect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Ebonics_controversy

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

pergola: A framework in the form of a passageway of columns that supports a trelliswork roof; used to support and train climbing plants. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pergola

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Come, Desire of nations, come, fix in us thy humble home; rise, the woman's conquering Seed, bruise in us the serpent's head. Adam's likeness, Lord, efface; stamp thine image in its place. Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" --Charles Wesley https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley