Final Fantasy was named as Square's last game — a desperate name became a global franchise

In 1987, Square was a small Japanese game developer on the verge of bankruptcy. The company had released several games that failed to gain traction. Founder Masafumi Miyamoto and the development team were running out of money. The company's situation was so dire that Square's creditors were demanding payment, and the company had no clear path to survival.

Hironobu Sakaguchi, a young Square employee, was assigned to create one last game. He planned to quit the game industry and go back to university if this game failed. The original working title was 'Fighting Fantasy,' but that name was already trademarked by a gamebook series. Sakaguchi chose 'Final Fantasy' instead — the name reflected Square's desperate situation, as this was supposed to be the company's final game. He also wanted a name that could be shortened to 'FF' in Japanese.

The game was released for the Famicom (NES) on December 18, 1987, in Japan. It was a commercial success, selling over 400,000 copies in its first year. The game saved Square from bankruptcy. The sequel was released in 1988, and the franchise grew rapidly. By 1990, Final Fantasy III had sold over 1.4 million copies in Japan, and Square was on solid financial footing.

The Final Fantasy franchise went on to sell over 180 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game series in history. The name that was chosen because Square was dying became one of the most recognized names in entertainment. A game that was supposed to be the company's last became its most valuable asset. The 'final' fantasy was anything but final.