Short answers, pulled from the story.
Hironobu Sakaguchi created the Final Fantasy series, which was released in 1987. Sakaguchi developed the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a desperate attempt to save his employer Square from financial collapse.
Final Fantasy VII was the first title in the series to use three-dimensional computer graphics instead of two-dimensional graphics. Released for the Sony PlayStation in 1997, the game featured polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds and marked a pivotal shift in video game history.
Nobuo Uematsu was the primary composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004. Uematsu created much of the music with little direction from production staff and developed themes based on the game's story, characters, and artwork.
By March 2025, the Final Fantasy series surpassed cumulative global physical and digital sales of 200 million units. The series has seen a steady increase in total sales, reaching 100 million units by 1999 and 200 million units in 2011.
A character named Cid appears in every game since Final Fantasy II, including subsequent remakes of the original Final Fantasy. Cid is typically a scientist or engineer tied to an airship the party eventually acquires.