FFX-2 does that shinra guy....

[FF7Guru]

An Aztec legend said that there was different "Ages" of humans, and that only 2 humans survived at the end of each age. Maybe we can apply that kind of theory to this, as not all people know everything, and knowledge would change with each age. EG the Fayth wouldn't work anymore because no-one knew how to use it, and someone found a piece of materia, or vice versa?

 

[Dionysos]

I think the character Shinra in X-2 was mainly more a nod to FF7, or merely referencing it. I don't think that they are connected.. Well they can't be.. They're on different planets!

Perhaps if Shinra got sucked into the interdimensional rift and ended up in FF7's world, then I realy can't see how thy are connected!

And don't anybody say that Spira is the FF7 world in the time of the Ancients, because the people in this time do not show any of the planet listening etc abilities that the Cetra are supposed to have, and are also not free from technology and wandering free... And also the people of Spira do not live like the Cetra either, and do not live in giant shells like they appeared to in FF7 (judging by the City of the Ancients)... So Shinra in FFX-2 can't even be related by that...

Basically, it's just a reference. I can't realy see anything to link the two worlds together, and I don't think that Shinra is the ancestor of President Shinra.

 

[torbonator]

They can't be related (apart from name) to be honest. As in ff10 you have summoners that summon from faith, where as in ff7 its materia. Same for magic ff7 uses materia, you have to be a black mage in ff10. And Even though there's thousands of years difference the world itself is to different. Unless as argor said:

Perhaps if Shinra got sucked into the interdimensional rift and ended up in FF7's world, then I realy can't see how thy are connected!

I can't see them being related in anyway apart from name.

 

[Dionysos]

It's a silly idea realy. I mean I'm fine with people coming up with connections between worlds and everything... I'm a supporter of the various Void theories about Gilgamesh myself.. But this one, to say that a character from a planet with a completely different feel about it, is in fact the ancestor of President Shinra is absurd...

Next they'll be saying that Cloud is Vivi's uncle... Because his sword was found in a store in Lundblum, so it must be true!

But seriously... The naming of Shinra was just a nod of the head to the past games... It wasn't meant to be taken seriously, and if it is claimed to be by some of the producers of recent games, I still don't consider it canon as the proper producers of the actual FF7 game didn't intend it that way / probably haven't had a say in it... If you get what I mean...

 

[torbonator]

Next they'll be saying that Cloud is Vivi's uncle... Because his sword was found in a store in Lundblum, so it must be true!

Cloud Vivi's uncle now you've gone off your head, vivi is to cute to be clouds nephew, if anything beatrix is clouds wife as they both wield swords.

 

[Jasmine You]

Perhaps we should simply take that as a small reference, after all, there's a Cid in almost every FF and no one's saying anything about that

 

[Auronlu]

For what it's worth, the developers of FFX-2 have indicated that the connection is more than "a nod" to FFVII, but that at least some of the team were onboard with making a deliberate connection. Onceman mentioned an interview a few pages back where this was revealed.

Here's an excerpt. It's from the Japanese Ultimania guide, an interview with Kazushige Nojima, writer of FFVII, FFX, and FFX-2:

-- Is there a connection between Shinra and FFVII?

Nojima: Yes, actually. After Shinra quit the Gullwings he got enormous financial backing from Rin and went to the Farplane to start extracting the Mako energy used by the Vegnagun. But the system for utilizing this energy could not be completed in his generation, so far in the future when space travel was possible, the Shinra Company was founded on another planet... or something like that. That would be a thousand years or so from this game's story.

-- source


Another translation of this interview shows that other team members were aware of Nojima's idea, and that President Shinra might be a distant descendant of this Shinra.

Nojima (Writer): Inside the game, I try to connect all the scenes and stories together. The name Shinra, that was also in FF7, is it connected? Yes it IS connected. For example, “Graduation mission” and “Rin Detective” mission” , Rin says “ we are the same mind”, which it’s a mysterious line from the game.

Nojima: Shinra (the kid) quits the Gullwings, Rin gave Shinra a HUGE financial support, he found out by using Venagun, he can pull out lots of MAKO energy from the farplane, BUT he cannot complete this mission by himself. Later generations moved to another planet and created the Shinra (KANJI) company… This occurs 1000 years later.

Q: AFTER that, does the story of FF7 occur?

Nojima: Yeah, I guess so. In my mind I have those feelings in me. If I think about those characters involved in the story, I’m holding those images inside me. Shinra was a good person, but his later generations will be like the “president”. (laughs)

Watanabe: One of the staff from FF7 saw Shinra’s episode, the camera work we used under Bevelle gave that staff member a “familiar feeling.”

Toriyama (director): Yeah, that scene looked like the opening movie of Midgar from FF7.

-- source

So there was even a vague connection between Midgar and the area under Bevelle, in the minds of some of X-2's developers.

As far as I can tell, FFX was built to stand alone, but while developing FFX-2, Nojima had a brainstorm and decided to link the worlds of FFX and FFVII together via this plot device.

Personally, I think this is bunk.

But I don't think it's just a "nod" to FFVII. I think Square-Enix is so in love with FFVII that they'll tie stuff to it any chance they get -- and in particular, Nojima the writer of both franchises was insisting on it. Notice that he says Vegnagun is powered with MAKO energy!

By this theory, it's not the Ancients that are descendants of Spiran colonists, but rather, the people of Midgar, the second race on the planet.

I've only played FFVII through once, and I'm not sure if that fits in with FFVII's backstory. Then again, there are apparently things in Crisis Core and Advent Children that directly contradict canon in FFVII.

 

[Cloud64]

Yeah, they are far tooooooooo different to be the same + they are based in different worlds

 

[moi exorcismus]

basically make a driect link between x and vii? i read on wikipedia that he (or his ancestor) founds the shinra company and that basically vii takes place on spira yet years later?

it is very impossible.
Final Fantasy makers were very fond of using names in other FF games.
and don't really rely on wikipedia. remember, it is a free encyclopedia. you know what i mean.

 

[Dark-Angel]

I say if you find the right way it would be possible to explain the link if there is any. I think originally there wasn't any intention to be any link and was a new game altogether, but the creators are simply making the game more interesting

 

[The Bikini Goddess]

Another translation of this interview shows that other team members were aware of Nojima's idea, and that President Shinra might be a distant descendant of this Shinra.

...

Personally, I think this is bunk.

I couldn't agree more. I also think that the motivation behind this inclusion is somewhat financial. FFVII is the real power house-- and the insane fanbase it has (myself included, I've got a FF character half sleeve for chrissake,) has proven it's willingness to consume anything semi-related. In fact, that's the name of the game. With the exception of X-2, none of the Final Fantasies are a direct sequel. Slap Final Fantasy on the box and stuff in a few motifs and it sells.

There are amazing Square titles that slip through the cracks simply because they weren’t tossed on the Final Fantasy wagon, such as the tragically underrated Vagrant Story.

By claiming that FFX-2, the least acclaimed and successful Final Fantasy is directly relevant to VII is a blatant attempt to breath life into something better left for dead.

As far as I'm concerned, anything occurring after the original, old school Final Fantasy VII is a fan-service, non-cannon afterthought. They are distorting the original so it fits into the cash-mold. Hey, they have to work Gackt in there somehow!

 

[Vauel-Faur]

Now don't start putting stupid ideas in my head.....Shinra was a boy right....?

I'm pretty sure Jenova had a pair of boobs

Off-topic, but I'm fairly sure that it's stated at least once, if not several times, that Jenova can shapeshift, and Ifalna herself refers to Jenova as "he."

Anyway, I think there's about a 1% possibility that X took place thousands of years before or after VII. Who knows? After all, the whole Farplane theory could have been devised because they weren't aware that all life returned to the planet, or vice-versa. Though it's more likely that if they were related to each other, VII would have come first. Here are a few reasons why:

• There are no Cetra in X
• X appears to have more advanced technology, such as Blitzball stadiums and the like
• VII makes no mention of Sin or anything resembling Sin. Sin, however, seems to fit in with the whole "the Planet is punishing humans by using some big fierce monster to keep the Planet safe" idea that VII has going on (i.e. Weapon) and could have come sometime after VII

There could be a few more things, I supposed, but all-in-all I don't think the two games are related.

 

[DarkClaymore]

In Wikipedia it says:
"Interviews with scenario writer Kazushige Nojima and producer Yoshinori Kitase reveal that Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X-2 share a plot-related connection, where the Shinra corporation of Final Fantasy VII is founded by descendants of the Al Bhed Shinra"

Even though it is not the most reliable source, I still believe in it.
The whole world idea of death in Spira kind of reminded me of FFVII.
Don't know if it is set the the very same planet or, like mentioned by someone else, is set on different planet in the same universe.

I think it is great because Shinra is a cool character.

 

[Platinum_Lies]

They are connected. FFX-2 and the ultimania guides have not only implied this connection but flat out said "they are connected directly".

Also, FFX-2 is one of the most successful titles in the FF franchise. Nearly 5 million copies sold has it with FFIX and FFXII and only behind FFX, FFVIII, and FFVII...