Space?!

[Yrusama]

I'm sorry, but this has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever read. Some people really do grasp at straws...
I'm pretty sure Shinra is just a name they used to reference FFVII, since it's the highest selling FF game to date. It's tantamount to saying that every Cid in every FF game is actually the same person, who has somehow manipulated time and space, along with his physical appearance, so that he can be in every game.


Edit: Not to mention that the reason the company was called "SHINRA" was due to the president's name... Rufus Shinra

Mild spoiler alert for FFVII, FFVII Dirge of Cerberus, and X-2:

First: Your example of Cid is obviously not true (as you've said), but it is true of Gilgamesh. He just can't control his void-drifting. Any instance of Gilgamesh (excluding the XI version and a few others) can be considered canon to the FFV Gilgamesh's story. I really look forward to an instance of Gilgamesh in XIV.

Second: The thing about Shinra was actually brought up in Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania. Shinra did mention in X-2 that he wanted to harvest the energy of the farplane, but that plan is never started during the game (unless it's in International, which I haven't played.) The Ultimania series offer official addenda to the original stories, and in many cases can be considered canon. X-2's left this scenario open as a "maybe". Personally I think the Shinra thing is far-fetched - the people of FFVII's world would have had to exist long enough to entirely forget space travel until Cid Highwind rediscovers it, and the name of a young Al-Bhed boy would likely be forgotten before then.

@Bowen: The seeds of racial integration in FFX-2 allow that Al-Bhed wouldn't readily exclude non-Al-Bhed from joining in their galactic exodus. Also consider Dirge of Cerberus: the Lifestream itself (everyone) can be carried across galaxies to take root in a new planet. Again, I doubt the name Shinra would reemerge from the lifestream.

Third: Rufus Shinra is the only legitimate son of President Shinra (no first name), who dies early in FFVII. Rufus took over the company within the hour, and the first president is quickly forgotten by the player.

There you have it. It's one thing to call someone on stretching the truth, but it's another to do so with half-truths of your own. I know X-2 and DoC are far from popular games, but they are canon and far more credible than your dismissive bullshit.

Edit: Sorry. Digression aside. Space travel would be cool. We've already had something fall from space, so who's to say we won't have a chance to rise up there? For now, however, I'm inclined to believe the sparkly darkness is that glittery powder effect found around the crystal in some of the earlier ARR trailers.

Anyway, space! Make it happen, devs! If not now, then sometime in the future!