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Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy

Posted Sep 5, 2010 at 10:54PM EST by Mabie A.

Listed in: PSP, PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: Final Fantasy, Square Enix

Want to hear a cool trivia today? Final Fantasy as a franchise has proven time and again to be very successful. And in this case, the name has come to mean everything for the brand. Now we're about to find out how Square Enix settled for the name that will turn out to bring them immense success spanning more than a decade.

Executive Producer Akitoshi Kawazu revealed the trivia that one of their original options for the game was "Fighting Fantasy". However, they had to scrap it out from their list because the name was already being used by Steve Jackson back thenk.

Explained Kawazu:

“It was something that was decided a long time ago, so my memory might be a bit faulty, but I think one of the things we had decided up front was that we wanted a title that could be abbreviated as FF. That abbreviation has special meaning. So we came up with many different titles, and Final Fantasy was one of them. From there, I think we were quick to make the call. There were some concerns about calling something ‘final’ from the get-go, but in the end we all warmed up to it. On a side note, one other option we liked was Fighting Fantasy, but it was the name of a game-book series by legendary game designer Steve Jackson, so we canned the idea. I wonder what would have happened if we didn’t realize this and went with the Fighting Fantasy option.”

And there you have it. Your trivia for the day. Are you happy they went with "Final Fantasy" instead of "Fighting Fantasy"?

Via [Nintendo Everything]

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(1)

well #1. FIIRRSSTT. sorry i never got to do that cuz ryan f always got it.

#2. this is quite interesting. but then again i think it would of turned out just as good exept in that alternate reality we would respond and see the glory in the name "Fighting Fantasy" the way we do Final Fantsy in this reality.
if that were the name we would say "Final Fantsasy is one of the best gaming series of all time" intesd of Fighting Fantsasy is one of the best gaming series of all time". names make little difference and a big difference at the same time (paradox head explosion)

+8 # Interesting — UltimaXIX 2010-09-06 02:07

I remember a different origin of the name; something about Square thinking they were about to go bankrupt...

-2 # RE: Interesting — Cyber Akuma 2010-09-06 05:57

Thats a myth that has spread near-everywhere, even I used to believe it, but its not true. I am surprised they didn't flat-out mention it had nothing to do with assuming they will go bankrupt since so many people think that is why it was called that.

# @Cyber Akuma — kupomogli 2010-09-07 03:14

Aside from what Sephiroth86 posted, Squaresoft themselves have once said that was the very reason. I think now they're trying to get that information out of the way as it would make them look bad seeing how much they're milking the franchise now.

The only question Akitoshi Kawazu needs to answer is when are we getting another good SaGa title. Otherwise he can stfu.

+3 # ... — Sephiroth86 2010-09-06 06:41

Uematsu confirming this ^

www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/07/final-fantasy/#more-13917

+3 # I could have sworn... — FABLE 2010-09-06 02:10

I thought they called it Final Fantasy because Square Enix was going bankrupt and this was supposed to be their final game before shutting down..and then they ended up making a whole bunch of money off of it

# FF — fardeenah 2010-09-06 02:32

i thought sagagushi wanted to make a last game before leaving the industry thats why he called it final fantasy, its even in interviews. why are they making things up now

# RE: I could have sworn... — tech3475 2010-09-06 04:53

Same thought here.

I guess this is going to be one of those things like how pac-man came to be or how Donkey Kong got his name.

# RE: I could have sworn... — Mrleo9x 2010-09-06 09:07

yeah that's the story that i remember lol

# wait a minute — greyfox2401 2010-09-06 02:24

that's the story i heard; after a string of lukewarm releases in the mid 80's Square facing bankruptcy put all its eggs in one basket and called it "Final Fantasy" because it was their "final" shot at success.

are you sure that Square isn't making up a story so people might forget that Hironobu Sakaguchi isn't Square's complete savior and executive producer/director/or writer of at least the first TEN Final Fantasies

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — vincentfernandez8 2010-09-06 03:30

when square was almost bankrupt that's when they made ff8 where they decided to make or break with it...

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — lalilulelo 2010-09-06 04:06

I wonder what special meaning the abbreviation 'FF' holds..

# RE: RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — Mabie A. 2010-09-06 09:23

i was actually wondering the same thing. why insist on FF? T_T

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — The Shamans 2010-09-06 05:03

Yeah, they were going bankrupt, and they made that to be their last fantasy if they fail whit that game !

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — aperson2 2010-09-06 06:32

Now this is quite weird. I distinctly remember articles and speeches years ago that said it was because Square were leaving the game development business and so created their final game.

+3 # RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — Cyber Akuma 2010-09-06 06:38

Maybe this is just the geek in me talking, but I wonder if one of the special meanings of FF is that it is the largest hex value that can be expressed in double digits, what with so many games having something that can be maxed at "255"

+1 # RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — justimber 2010-09-06 08:50

it seems that SE is trying to change the history behind the now famous RPG name. I also remember reading a lot of articles (incl. Wiki) that it was called Final Fantasy because if the game flops, it's bye bye for Square (bankruptcy). but the game sold millions and Square made money and still alive today. now I wonder why they are singing a different tune about the history of the "Final Fantasy" name.

-6 # RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — aldane 2010-09-06 10:01

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+1 # RE: RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — aperson2 2010-09-06 10:56

Fuck off

# its dicks like you... — Beansta 2010-09-06 11:04

that make me wish QJ kept the old registered users only policy, sure as hell stopped this spamming shit.

its interesting to hear about a game companies past...and i really only played FF7 all the way through it has to be said. but good franchise anyway

# How about — Zenshua91 2010-09-06 11:23

Finish (the damn) Franchise???

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — yoshioxd 2010-09-06 12:41

IF Uematsu and sakaguchi say it..must be true about aquare´s bankrupt
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/07/final-fantasy/#more-13917

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — pulseONE 2010-09-06 17:50

The story I heard was that it was because Square expected it to be their last game...

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — Navi24 2010-09-06 19:12

Funking Fantastic!

# I love This Story — MitchenX 2010-09-06 19:38

It's one of my favorites... The Final Fantasy series almost didn't happen. :)
Funny this story should come up, as I just went back to FF1 today. Cannot decide between original NES version or PSP remake.

-1 # FFTW — FFTTWW 2010-09-07 03:31

FF = GAY

# RE: FFTW — platypusrme 2010-09-07 08:21

I don't think you could have said it any better........I think you gave the wrong title to your post.

# 3rd reason — Zambatoh 2010-09-08 00:29

This is the 3rd reason for the name. They're not trying to rewrite their history. This is just 1 of many reasons for the name on top of the bankruptcy and Sakaguchi quitting.
The article title is very misleading.

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — Dirt 2010-09-12 00:04

What was his Final Fantasy? To look like a girl?

# RE: Trivia: How Final Fantasy came to be called Final Fantasy — Dylan james 2010-09-12 20:10

this story is full of shit, nowhere was it ever mentioned before they just wanted the abbreviations to be FF before now.

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