The Spirit of Giving
First off, if you celebrate it, Merry Christmas!
Since today is historically considered a day of giving, I've decided to let loose an idea that I've had for a few months that will allow me (and hopefully many others) to give to those in need—through gaming... a lot.
Let's start from the beginning. Quite a few games have been hitting their silver anniversaries: Mario and Zelda to name just two. Next year, my favorite series of all time—Final Fantasy—will have it's turn. I felt like I needed to celebrate the occasion somehow. On a whim I started to look up the Japanese release dates of each of the games:
| Release Date (JP) | Release Date (USA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy I | December 18, 1987 | July 12, 1990 |
| Final Fantasy II | December 17, 1988 | April 8, 2003 |
| Final Fantasy III | April 27, 1990 | November 14, 2006 |
| Final Fantasy IV | July 19, 1991 | November 23, 1991 |
| Final Fantasy V | December 6, 1992 | October 5, 1999 |
| Final Fantasy VI | April 2, 1994 | October 11, 1994 |
| Final Fantasy VII | January 31, 1997 | September 7, 1997 |
| Final Fantasy VIII | February 11, 1999 | September 9, 1999 |
| Final Fantasy IX | July 7, 2000 | November 13, 2000 |
| Final Fantasy X | July 19, 2001 | December 17, 2001 |
| Final Fantasy XII | March 16, 2006 | October 31, 2006 |
| Final Fantasy XIII | December 17, 2009 | March 9, 2010 |
I thought to myself, "What if I marathoned all of those games on the day of their release for charity?"
Crazy? Of course. Sure, the idea certainly isn't new. But what better way to not only show my appreciation for the 25th birthday of a legendary gaming series but also give to those in need as well?
I've done the initial research around holding one of these and they're not easy to coordinate, but I'm not letting that discourage me (even though I'll essentially be throwing 12 of these). I have about a little over a month until I start on my first target, FInal Fantasy VII and here are a couple of my roadblocks:
- Deciding on a charity. I have a couple in mind.
- Finding a few other gamers willing to take the jump with me. It's highly discouraged that I attempt any of the longer ones myself.
- The other logistics. Website, promotion, etc.
While this isn't an outright call for assistance, if this sparks your interest, catch up with me on Twitter or Facebook. I'm equally anxious and excited to get this started, and when I have more information, I'll post more information. ;)