title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is traditionally used in soap making (cold process soap, saponification). It was made in the nineteenth century for a hard surface rather than liquid product because it was easier to store and transport.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: For the manufacture of biodiesel, sodium hydroxide is used as a catalyst for the transesterification of methanol and triglycerides. This only works with anhydrous sodium hydroxide, because combined with water the fat would turn into soap, which would be tainted with methanol. NaOH is used more often than potassium hydroxide because it is cheaper and a smaller quantity is needed. Due to production costs, NaOH, which is produced using common salt is cheaper than potassium hydroxide.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Food uses of sodium hydroxide include washing or chemical peeling of fruits and vegetables, chocolate and cocoa processing, caramel coloring production, poultry scalding, soft drink processing, and thickening ice cream. Olives are often soaked in sodium hydroxide for softening; Pretzels and German lye rolls are glazed with a sodium hydroxide solution before baking to make them crisp. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining food grade sodium hydroxide in small quantities for home use, sodium carbonate is often used in place of sodium hydroxide. It is known as E number E524.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is frequently used as an industrial cleaning agent where it is often called "caustic". It is added to water, heated, and then used to clean process equipment, storage tanks, etc. It can dissolve grease, oils, fats and protein-based deposits. It is also used for cleaning waste discharge pipes under sinks and drains in domestic properties. Surfactants can be added to the sodium hydroxide solution in order to stabilize dissolved substances and thus prevent redeposition. A sodium hydroxide soak solution is used as a powerful degreaser on stainless steel and glass bakeware. It is also a common ingredient in oven cleaners.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: A common use of sodium hydroxide is in the production of parts washer detergents. Parts washer detergents based on sodium hydroxide are some of the most aggressive parts washer cleaning chemicals. The sodium hydroxide-based detergents include surfactants, rust inhibitors and defoamers. A parts washer heats water and the detergent in a closed cabinet and then sprays the heated sodium hydroxide and hot water at pressure against dirty parts for degreasing applications. Sodium hydroxide used in this manner replaced many solvent-based systems in the early 1990s when trichloroethane was outlawed by the Montreal Protocol. Water and sodium hydroxide detergent-based parts washers are considered to be an environmental improvement over the solvent-based cleaning methods.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is used in the home as a type of drain opener to unblock clogged drains, usually in the form of a dry crystal or as a thick liquid gel. The alkali dissolves greases to produce water soluble products. It also hydrolyzes proteins, such as those found in hair, which may block water pipes. These reactions are sped by the heat generated when sodium hydroxide and the other chemical components of the cleaner dissolve in water. Such alkaline drain cleaners and their acidic versions are highly corrosive and should be handled with great caution.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is used in some relaxers to straighten hair. However, because of the high incidence and intensity of chemical burns, manufacturers of chemical relaxers use other alkaline chemicals in preparations available to consumers. Sodium hydroxide relaxers are still available, but they are used mostly by professionals.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: A solution of sodium hydroxide in water was traditionally used as the most common paint stripper on wooden objects. Its use has become less common, because it can damage the wood surface, raising the grain and staining the colour.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is sometimes used during water purification to raise the pH of water supplies. Increased pH makes the water less corrosive to plumbing and reduces the amount of lead, copper and other toxic metals that can dissolve into drinking water.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide has been used for detection of carbon monoxide poisoning, with blood samples of such patients turning to a vermilion color upon the addition of a few drops of sodium hydroxide. Today, carbon monoxide poisoning can be detected by CO oximetry.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is used in some cement mix plasticisers. This helps homogenise cement mixes, preventing segregation of sands and cement, decreases the amount of water required in a mix and increases workability of the cement product, be it mortar, render or concrete.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: After decades of research, EMPA researchers and others are experimenting with concentrated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as the thermal storage or seasonal reservoir medium for power plants and domestic space-heating. If water is added to solid or concentrated sodium hydroxide (NaOH), heat is released. The dilution is exothermic – chemical energy is released in the form of heat. Conversely, by applying heat energy into a dilute sodium hydroxide solution the water will evaporate so that the solution becomes more concentrated and thus stores the supplied heat as latent chemical energy.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Like other corrosive acids and alkalis, drops of sodium hydroxide solutions can readily decompose proteins and lipids in living tissues via amide hydrolysis and ester hydrolysis, which consequently cause chemical burns and may induce permanent blindness upon contact with eyes. Solid alkali can also express its corrosive nature if there is water, such as water vapor. Thus, protective equipment, like rubber gloves, safety clothing and eye protection, should always be used when handling this chemical or its solutions. The standard first aid measures for alkali spills on the skin is, as for other corrosives, irrigation with large quantities of water. Washing is continued for at least ten to fifteen minutes.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Moreover, dissolution of sodium hydroxide is highly exothermic, and the resulting heat may cause heat burns or ignite flammables. It also produces heat when reacted with acids.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is also mildly corrosive to glass, which can cause damage to glazing or cause ground glass joints to bind. Sodium hydroxide is corrosive to several metals, like aluminium which reacts with the alkali to produce flammable hydrogen gas on contact:


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Careful storage is needed when handling sodium hydroxide for use, especially bulk volumes. Following proper NaOH storage guidelines and maintaining worker/environment safety is always recommended given the chemical's burn hazard.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide is often stored in bottles for small-scale laboratory use, within intermediate bulk containers (medium volume containers) for cargo handling and transport, or within large stationary storage tanks with volumes up to 100,000 gallons for manufacturing or waste water plants with extensive NaOH use. Common materials that are compatible with sodium hydroxide and often utilized for NaOH storage include: polyethylene (HDPE, usual, XLPE, less common), carbon steel, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), stainless steel, and fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP, with a resistant liner).


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide must be stored in airtight containers to preserve its normality as it will absorb water from the atmosphere.


title: Sodium hydroxide

text: Sodium hydroxide was first prepared by soap makers. A procedure for making sodium hydroxide appeared as part of a recipe for making soap in an Arab book of the late 13th century: (Inventions from the Various Industrial Arts), which was compiled by al-Muzaffar Yusuf ibn 'Umar ibn 'Ali ibn Rasul (d. 1295), a king of Yemen. The recipe called for passing water repeatedly through a mixture of "alkali" (Arabic: , where is ash from saltwort plants, which are rich in sodium; hence "alkali" was impure sodium carbonate) and quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO), whereby a solution of sodium hydroxide was obtained. European soap makers also followed this recipe. When in 1791 the French chemist and surgeon Nicolas Leblanc (1742–1806) patented a process for mass-producing sodium carbonate, natural "soda ash" (impure sodium carbonate that was obtained from the ashes of plants that are rich in sodium) was replaced by this artificial version. However, by the 20th century, the electrolysis of sodium chloride had become the primary method for producing sodium hydroxide.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, singer, photographer, and former professional skateboarder, who is known for playing Earl Hickey in the television comedy series "My Name Is Earl", for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV series in 2005 and 2006 by The Golden Globes, and Dwight Hendricks in "Memphis Beat" (2010–2011).


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: He is also known for his roles in Kevin Smith films such as "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", "Jersey Girl", "Clerks II", and "Cop Out". Lee won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in "Chasing Amy". He also portrayed David Seville in the live-action/CGI "Alvin and the Chipmunks" film series. His other notable film roles include starring in "Enemy of the State", "Almost Famous", "Vanilla Sky", "Stealing Harvard", "A Guy Thing" and "The Ballad of Jack and Rose". His voice acting credits include Syndrome in "The Incredibles", Bones in "Monster House" and the title character in "Underdog".


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: A former professional skateboarder, Lee is the co-founder and co-owner of Stereo Skateboards, founding the company in 1992 with fellow skateboarder Chris "Dune" Pastras. Since 1992, Stereo manufactures and distributes skateboard decks, equipment and apparel, as well as producing skate videos.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee was born in Santa Ana, California, on April 25, 1970. His father, Greg Lee, was a car dealership manager and his mother, Carol Lee, a homemaker. He has an older brother, James (b. 1968). Lee was raised in Huntington Beach and attended Ocean View High School. A hyperactive and energetic child, Lee took up skateboarding after his mother bought him a skateboard with the hope that he would use it to burn off excessive energy. Hooked on the art of skateboarding, Lee spent the majority of his time perfecting his craft, that would eventually lead to him dropping out of Ocean View High School so he could turn pro.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee was a professional skateboarder in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1992, he founded Stereo Sound Agency, known as Stereo Skateboards, with fellow skater Chris "Dune" Pastras. In 2003, after it had been defunct for a few years, the pair successfully revived the company. As of October 2013, Lee and Pastras remained on the professional "Classics" team roster.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee was featured in the skateboarding promotional video, "Video Days", filmed for the skateboarding company Blind Skateboards. In 2004, Lee's skateboarding was featured in "Way Out East!", a film produced by Stereo Skateboards.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: In August 2012, Lee was also featured in a brief video on the skateboard website The Berrics entitled "Jason Lee decided to come to the park."


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: In August 2012, Lee participated in the ninth annual Stand-Up for Skateparks Event, which he chaired with Tony Hawk. The event is held annually by the Tony Hawk Charitable Foundation and seeks to "help create free, quality public skateparks for youth in low-income communities."


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: In October that same year, a video was released by the Keep A Breast Foundation, featuring various skateboarding identities, including Lee, together with Pastras. The video, contributing to the Foundation's aim to prevent and raise awareness of breast cancer, promotes the "I Love Boobies" bracelet. It also features Clint Peterson (Stereo) and Giovanni Reda (WESC), who are both teammates of Lee.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee later worked with Tony Hawk when he lent his voice and likeness to "Tony Hawk's Project 8" to become a playable character. Lee then voiced Coach Frank, a character created during the development of Stereo, in "Skate 3".


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Professional skateboarder and owner of the Girl and Lakai Limited Footwear skateboard brands Mike Carroll has cited Lee as one of his skating influences.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee has been particularly cited for his 360 flips, which even the trick's inventor, Rodney Mullen, credits him with stylizing and popularizing.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: After taking some minor acting roles in 1992–1994 (including the music video for the Sonic Youth single "100%", a small part in "Mi Vida Loca", and a bit part as a dance instructor on "Chance and Things"), Lee left professional skateboarding for a full-time acting career. His first major movie role was in Kevin Smith's "Mallrats", which became a cult hit. This started a friendship that subsequently led to appearances in many of Smith's films, including "Chasing Amy", "Dogma", "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", "Clerks II", "Cop Out", and "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot". Lee won an Independent Spirit Award for his role in "Chasing Amy" as Banky Edwards.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee graduated to leading man roles in "Heartbreakers", "Stealing Harvard", and "A Guy Thing". He has had supporting roles in "Vanilla Sky", "Almost Famous", "Dreamcatcher", "Big Trouble", "The Ballad of Jack and Rose", and "Mumford", as well as a minor role in "Enemy of the State". Lee also voiced Syndrome in "The Incredibles" and "Jack-Jack Attack". He reprised the role as a "robot copy" of Syndrome in "Disney Presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure". Lee is also the voice of Underdog in "Underdog" and portrays Dave Seville in the live action/CGI films starring Alvin and the Chipmunks.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: In 2005, Lee was offered the lead role in "My Name Is Earl". According to interviews on the first-season DVD, he passed on the series twice before finally agreeing to read for the pilot. In the series, he stars as Earl Hickey. Lee received two Golden Globe nominations for in 2006 and 2007, as well as a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006. NBC cancelled "My Name is Earl" after four seasons.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: On June 22, 2010, "Memphis Beat" premiered. In the series, Lee starred with Alfre Woodard and portrayed Dwight Hendricks. In October 2011, it was announced the series was not renewed for a third season. He guest-starred in 2010 and 2013 episodes of "Raising Hope", created by "My Name is Earl" creator and producer Greg Garcia.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: As of December 2011, Lee appeared in "Up All Night", but after its second season, it was officially cancelled on May 9, 2013. In June 2013, "", a fourth installment of the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" franchise, was announced by 20th Century Fox; its release date was December 18, 2015.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee is in the Amazon Studios 49-minute pilot of "Cocked", where he plays the character of Grady Paxson, one of three men who run a family company, manufacturing guns. The show premiered on January 15, 2015, and also stars Brian Dennehy, Diora Baird, Dreama Walker, and Sam Trammell. On January 25, 2015, The Hallmark Channel premiered "Away & Back", a Hallmark Hall of Fame film starring Lee, Maggie Elizabeth Jones and Minka Kelly.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee began shooting photos regularly in the early 2000s, and became interested in instant photography. He released his first photo book through "Refueled Magazine". It consists of "184 pages of Polaroid & Fuji Instant Film photographs from 2006-2016", printed in an edition of 500 copies. In 2018 he published," A Plain View," a photo book consisting of color 4×5 photographs from his exploration of rural and urban America. From June to December 2019, his photographs of Oklahoma were exhibited in exhibit "OK: Jason Lee Photographs" in Philbrook Museum of Art. These works are scheduled to be released as the book "OK" in 2022. In December 2020, British publishing house Stanley/Barker released "In the Gold Dust Rush", consisting of black and white photographs of rural America. In 2021, Lee released "Galveston," commissioned by the Galveston Historical Foundation. He is inspired by work of New Topographics movement, notably by Henry Wessell. He photographs on film.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee married actress and photographer Carmen Llywelyn in 1995. They divorced in 2001. Llywelyn later cited Lee's commitment to Scientology as the principal cause for their separation. Llywelyn wrote that their relationship collapsed when she revealed to her talent manager and fellow Scientologist, Gay Ribisi (mother of actor Giovanni Ribisi), that she had read "A Piece of Blue Sky", an anti-Scientology book. Two days after her conversation with Ribisi, Llywelyn received a one-paragraph "disconnection letter" from Lee and was labeled a Suppressive Person.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Following his divorce from Llywelyn, Lee became engaged to actress Beth Riesgraf. Together, they have a son, Pilot Inspektor. Lee states their son's name was inspired by "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot." by rock band Grandaddy.


title: Jason Lee (actor)

text: Lee married Turkish model Ceren Alkaç in California in July 2008. A month later, Alkaç gave birth to a daughter named Casper. The couple had their second child, a son named Sonny, in 2012. Their third child, a daughter named Alberta 'Birdy' Lee, was born in 2017. Lee no longer practices Scientology. Lee currently resides in Denton, Texas with his family. He is a 1/5th co-owner of the restaurant "Barley and Board".


title: Dark Souls

text: By 2022, the series had shipped over 33 million copies. Other FromSoftware games, including "Demon's Souls", "King's Field", "Bloodborne", "Sekiro", and "Elden Ring", share several related concepts and are commonly grouped together as Soulslikes.


title: Dark Souls

text: The games take place within a dark, medieval fantasy setting, where the player's character fights against knights, dragons, phantoms, demons, and other monstrous or supernatural entities. The accretion, loss, and recovery of souls are central to the narrative and gameplay of "Dark Souls" games. These games are linked through their setting and an overarching cyclic narrative centering around fire, and are linked through common themes and elements, including interactions with phantoms and battles with demons. At the end of each game, characters may reignite the "first flame" or allow it to fade, recurring a choice others have made before.


title: Dark Souls

text: The "Dark Souls" games are played in a third-person perspective, and focus on exploring interconnected environments while fighting enemies with weapons and magic. Players battle bosses to progress through the story, while interacting with non-playable characters. The protagonist of each "Dark Souls" game can have a varying gender, appearance, name, and starting class via character creation. Players can choose between classes, including knights, barbarians, thieves, and mages. Each class has its own starting equipment and abilities that can be tailored to the player's experience and choices as they progress. The player gains souls from gameplay battles which act as both experience points to level up and as currency to buy items. Souls gained are usually proportional to the difficulty of fighting certain enemies; the more difficult an enemy, the more souls the player will gain.


title: Dark Souls

text: One of the core mechanics of the series is that it uses death to teach players how to react in hostile environments, encouraging repetition, learning from past mistakes, and prior experience as a means of overcoming its difficulty. Upon losing all of their health points and dying, players lose their Souls and are teleported back to a bonfire where they last rested, which serves as a checkpoint. One chance is given for the player to recover their lost Souls in the form of a bloodstain, which is placed at or around where they last died. If the player dies again before reaching their bloodstain, the Souls are permanently gone. As most enemies are respawned following player death, or if the player should rest at a bonfire, the player has the opportunity to regain more Souls by repeated combat encounters. The bonfire is a type of campfire in the action role-playing game "Dark Souls" and its sequels that functions as a checkpoint for the player character's progress, as well as reviving most enemies that the player previously killed. Later in the game, and in "Dark Souls II" and "III", they function as warp points. Another core aspect of the series is its dependency on endurance in battle. Performing attacks, blocking, or dodging consume stamina, which otherwise quickly restores if the player stands still or just walks around. Certain moves cannot be executed if the player lacks a certain amount of stamina, making them vulnerable to attack. Players must balance their rate of attacks against defensive moves and brief periods of rest to survive more difficult encounters.


title: Dark Souls

text: Online interaction in the "Dark Souls" is integrated into the single-player experience. Throughout levels, players can briefly see the actions of other players as ghosts in the same area that may show hidden passages or switches. When a player dies, a bloodstain can be left in other players' game world that when activated can show a ghost playing out their final moments, indicating how that person died and potentially helping the player avoid the same fate in advance. Players can leave messages on the ground that can either help other players by providing hints and warnings or harm them by leaving false hints. Players can also engage in both player versus player combat and cooperative gameplay using invasion or summoning mechanics.


title: Dark Souls

text: "Dark Souls" is the first game in the series; it is considered a spiritual successor to "Demon's Souls" (2009). FromSoftware wanted to develop a sequel to "Demon's Souls", but Sony's ownership of the intellectual property prevented them from doing so on other platforms. It was released in 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In 2012, "Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition" was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, featuring the base game and the "Artorias of the Abyss" downloadable content. The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Lordran. Players assume the role of a cursed human character who sets out to discover the fate of undead humans like themselves. The plot of "Dark Souls" is primarily told through environmental details, in-game item flavor text, and dialogue with non-playable characters (NPCs). Players must piece together clues in order to understand the story, rather than being told the story through more traditional means, such as through cutscenes. "Dark Souls" and its predecessor "Demon's Souls" garnered recognition due to the series' high level of difficulty. A version featuring some graphical and gameplay enhancements, "", was released in May 2018.


title: Dark Souls

text: Unlike the previous two games, director Hidetaka Miyazaki did not reprise his role as he was busy directing "Bloodborne", although he was still involved in supervision. It was released in 2014 for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. In 2015, an updated version featuring "" downloadable content was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, under the title "Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin" - with the latter two platforms receiving retail releases. The game takes place in the kingdom of Drangleic, where the player must find a cure for the undead curse. Although set in the same universe as the previous game, there is no direct story connection to "Dark Souls".


title: Dark Souls

text: "Dark Souls III" was released in 2016 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The gameplay is paced faster than previous "Souls" installments, which was attributed in part to the gameplay of "Bloodborne". The game takes place in the kingdom of Lothric, where the player must end the cycle of linking the Flame. In 2017, the complete version containing the base game and both expansions ("Ashes of Ariendel" and "The Ringed City") was released, under the title "Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition". "Dark Souls III" was both critically and commercially successful, with critics calling it a worthy and fitting conclusion to the series. It sold over 10 million copies by 2020, making it the fastest-selling game in Bandai Namco's history at the time (until it was overtaken by "Elden Ring"). In 2015, Miyazaki said that "Dark Souls III" would likely be the last of the series, with FromSoftware choosing to move onto new games of unrelated IPs in the future.


title: Dark Souls

text: A comic book by Titan Comics based on the series debuted alongside the release of "Dark Souls III" in 2016. A Kickstarter campaign for a licensed board game by Steamforged Games, "Dark Souls – The Board Game", was also announced around the same time. The campaign was funded within the first three minutes of its launch and was released in April 2017.


title: Dark Souls

text: "Dark Souls – The Board Game" (2017) is a combat-centric miniatures game for 1-4 players. From tabletop gaming publisher, Steamforged Games, Dark Souls™: The Board Game emulates the video game in its challenging difficulty and has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. Now (2022) two new core sets for Dark Souls™: The Board Game have been released, each visiting iconic locations from the video game - Tomb of Giants & The Painted World of Ariamis.


title: Dark Souls

text: In February 2017, music from the series composed by Motoi Sakuraba was performed by a live orchestra at the Salle Pleyel concert hall in Paris. In September of that year, a limited edition vinyl box set containing the soundtracks of all three games was released in Europe. In Japan, a box set containing the enhanced versions of all three games for the PlayStation 4, the soundtracks for each, bookends, artwork prints, and dictionaries detailing every in-game item was released on May 24, 2018.


title: Dark Souls

text: Released in 2009 for the PlayStation 3, "Demon's Souls" is considered the spiritual predecessor to the "Dark Souls" series. It has also been described as a spiritual successor to the "King's Field" series of games, while at the same time being described as a separate entity "guided by differing core game design concepts." It also drew inspiration from video games such as "Ico", "The Legend of Zelda", and FromSoftware's "", as well as manga such as "Berserk", "Saint Seiya" and "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure".


title: Dark Souls

text: Unlike its successors, "Demon's Souls" uses a central hub system known as the "Nexus" where players can level up, repair equipment, or buy certain items, before venturing into one of the five connected worlds. The "World Tendency" feature is also exclusive to "Demon's Souls", where the difficulty of exploring a world is dependent on how many bosses have been killed, and how the player dies. The gameplay involves a character-creation system and emphasizes gathering loot through combat with enemies in a non-linear series of varied locations. It had an online multiplayer system integrated into single-player, in which players could leave messages and warnings for other players' worlds, as well as join other players to assist and/or kill them. The multiplayer servers were shut down in early 2018 due to inactivity.


title: Dark Souls

text: The "King's Field" series, also developed by FromSoftware, is considered a spiritual predecessor to the series. It debuted in 1994 with "King's Field" for the PlayStation and had three sequels.


title: Dark Souls

text: In February 2016, Bandai Namco Entertainment partnered with American retailer GameStop to release "Slashy Souls", a free-to-play mobile endless runner, to promote "Dark Souls III". The game was presented in a pixel art style, and shares the series' level of difficulty. The game was met with highly negative critical reception, with reviewers such as Chris Carter of "Destructoid" and Jim Sterling both giving the game a 1/10.


title: Dark Souls

text: The "Dark Souls" series has been met with critical acclaim. The first "Dark Souls" has been cited to be among the greatest video games of all time, "Dark Souls II" also received critical acclaim upon release. Before release, "Dark Souls III" was one of the most anticipated games of 2016, and also received critical acclaim upon release.


title: Dark Souls

text: The "bloodstain" gameplay mechanic has been given praise by critics. David Craddock of "Shacknews" called them one of the core tenets of the series. He stated that the harshest punishment one can receive in a Souls game is "not dying once, but twice." "GamesRadar+" called bloodstains, in combination with "Demon Souls's" message system, "a graceful, elegant way of letting players guide each other without the need for words", and said that "rarely has the price of failure been balanced on such a precarious knife edge" as being forced to retrieve one's bloodstain. The series inspired a social media app for iOS and Android called Soapstone, which uses a similar online messaging system used in the series adapted for the real world, using GPS to determine a user's location and bringing up a list of cryptic messages posted by other users in the area.


title: Dark Souls

text: The bonfire concept was similarly praised. Matthew Elliott of "GamesRadar+" called bonfires a powerful symbol of relief, and "a meaty cocktail of progress, exhaustion and joy", and that, while other games evoke emotions with their save points, no other game does so as effectively. "Vice" called the Bonfire a "mark of genius" that "reinvented the save point" and allowed the player to reflect on their progress.


title: Dark Souls

text: The "Dark Souls" series had shipped 33.4 million copies outside of Japan . "Dark Souls III" broke sales records upon release, selling over three million copies worldwide by May 2016 and was Bandai Namco's fastest-selling game until being surpassed by "Elden Ring" in 2022.


title: Dark Souls

text: The Soulslike genre was inspired by common features of the series, resulting in many games using similar mechanics. Other FromSoftware games directed by Miyazaki, such as "Demon's Souls", "Bloodborne", "", and "Elden Ring", share many of the same concepts of "Souls" and are often associated with the series and grouped under the "Soulsborne" label.


title: Dark Souls

text: The series has also been cited as an influence on several PlayStation Network features, including asynchronous messaging, social networking, and video sharing, as well as for the television show "Stranger Things".


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The Voice is an American singing reality competition television series broadcast on NBC. It premiered during the spring television cycle on April 26, 2011. Based on the original "The Voice of Holland" and part of "The Voice" franchise, it has aired twenty-two seasons and aims to find unsigned singing talent (solo or duets, professional and amateur) contested by aspiring singers, age 13 or over, drawn from public auditions.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The winner is determined by television viewers voting by telephone, internet, SMS text, and iTunes Store purchases of the audio-recorded artists' vocal performances. They receive US$100,000 and a record deal with Universal Music Group for winning the competition. The winners of the twenty-two seasons have been: Javier Colon, Jermaine Paul, Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery, Tessanne Chin, Josh Kaufman, Craig Wayne Boyd, Sawyer Fredericks, Jordan Smith, Alisan Porter, Sundance Head, Chris Blue, Chloe Kohanski, Brynn Cartelli, Chevel Shepherd, Maelyn Jarmon, Jake Hoot, Todd Tilghman, Carter Rubin, Cam Anthony, Girl Named Tom, and Bryce Leatherwood.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The series employs a panel of four coaches who critique the artists' performances and guide their teams of selected artists through the remainder of the season. They also compete to ensure that their act wins the competition, thus making them the winning coach. The original panel featured Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton; the panel for the upcoming twenty-third season features Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan, and Chance the Rapper. Other coaches from previous seasons include Shakira, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, and Camila Cabello. In the fifteenth season, Kelsea Ballerini was featured as an off-screen fifth coach for "Comeback Stage" contestants. Bebe Rexha took over as the "Comeback Stage" coach for the sixteenth season.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: An adaptation of the Dutch show "The Voice of Holland", NBC announced the show under the name "The Voice of America" in December 2010; its name was soon shortened to "The Voice". (The name ""Voice of America"" was already in use by the U.S. government for its overseas radio service.) In each season, the winner receives $100,000 and a record deal with Universal Republic Records (seasons 1 & 2) or later Universal Music Group (season 3–present).


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: Each season begins with the "Blind Auditions", where coaches form their team of artists (12 in almost all seasons except seasons 1 (8), 3 (16), 18-20 (10), 22 (14)) whom they mentor through the remainder of the season. The coaches' chairs are faced towards the audience during artists' performances; those interested in an artist press their button, which turns their chair towards the artist and illuminates the bottom of the chair to read "I want you." At the conclusion of the performance, an artist either defaults to the only coach who turned around or selects their coach if more than one coach expresses interest. Introduced in the 14th season is "Block", which allows one coach to block another coach from getting a contestant.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: In the "Battle Rounds", each coach pairs two of their team members to perform together, then chooses one to advance in the competition. In each season, coaches are assisted by celebrity advisors that are different in each season. In the first season, coaches sit alongside their respective advisors in the battle stage. However, starting with the second season, the advisors no longer join the coaches in the battle stage. A new element was added in season three; coaches were given two "steals", allowing each coach to select two individuals who were eliminated during a battle round by another coach. Saves were also added later, which lets a coach prevent someone that they eliminated on their team from going home.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The Knockout Rounds were also introduced in season three and introduced in almost all seasons except seasons six and sixteen. A pair of artists within a team are selected to sing individual performances in succession. They are not told until a few minutes prior to their performances who their partner is. The artists get to choose their own songs in this round, although they continue to get help and advice from their respective coaches. At the conclusion of the performances, coaches would decide which one of each pair gets to advance to the next round. Similar to the battle rounds, the coaches can steal one eliminated artist from another coach starting with season five. Starting in season 14, coaches can save one eliminated artist from their own team. In season 18, the artists who were saved faced a Four-Way Knockout, with the winner decided through a public vote.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The "Battles, Round 2" were introduced to replace the Knockout Rounds in season six. Similar to the Knockout Rounds, each singer is paired within their team. One celebrity key adviser also assists all four of the coaches and their teams in preparation of these rounds. Coaches give each Battle pairing a list of songs and each pair must agree on which song to sing. Like the first Battle round, each coach can still decide which of their singers in each pair will advance to the next round, and also allowed one steal.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: In the sixteenth season, the knockouts were replaced by The Live Cross Battles, a format identical to the Cross Battles from the Chinese version of "The Voice". Each coach selects an artist to perform with another coach's artist together. The artist that receives the public vote will move on to the Playoffs, while the losing artist may be eliminated from the competition. The Live Cross Battles did not return in season seventeen due to poor reception.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: Previously eliminated artists can also advance to compete in the live shows; between seasons nine and thirteen (except season 11), each coach saved one artist (from either the Battle or Knockout rounds) to put through to the Live Playoffs. For seasons 15, 16 and 20, selected singers (prior to the Live elimination rounds) are put through to the "Comeback Stage" (which would be mentored by a fifth coach) and competed in a series of duels for a place in the live shows, with the winner earning a right to join a team of their choice.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: In the final live performance phase of the competition, artists perform in weekly shows, where public voting narrows to a final group of artists and eventually declares a winner. The coaches have the power to save one artist that had not received the public's vote that week. As of season two, these artists would give a last chance performance to win their coach's save. However, in deciding who moves on to the final four phase, the television audience and the coaches have equal say. With one team member remaining for each coach, the contestants compete against each other in the finale, where the outcome is decided solely by public vote. For the first two seasons, one artist per team would advance, but in favor on focusing on a more competitive format due to multiple potential artists, the format was revised beginning season three where artists who earned the lowest number of votes were progressively eliminated each week until five artists remain (three until season 6, then four prior to season 17), hence introducing a possibility where at least one coach would not represent a single artist in the finals, except in the case from seasons 18–20, where the rules in the semifinals was made to guarantee on having at least one artist representing the coach in the finale to accommodate the short number of live shows at three weeks, but these changes were reverted on the twenty-first season by reverting to the regular elimination format while retaining the top five finalists.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: In a first for a music competition series, NBC and Universal Republic Records offered fans of the show the ability to vote for their favorite artists by purchasing the studio versions of the songs that they perform on the live show each week via the iTunes Store. Alternative methods of voting can be done through toll-free phone calls (until season 8), text messaging, "The Voice Official App on NBC" app, and online votes via NBC.com and Facebook. Each method is limited to ten votes per user, and voting lasts until noon EST the next day.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: From the top 12 results show of season 3 to the end of season 17, a rule regarding voting was enacted with regard to iTunes singles purchases. In the first two seasons, voting via iTunes purchases of contestant performances counted singly during the official voting window and only accredited to the live show in concern. When a competitor's performance peaked within the Top 10 of the iTunes "Top 200 Singles Chart" during this window, it was given an iTunes bonus that multiplies iTunes votes made by ten. In season 5, the iTunes bonus multiplier was reduced to five for the studio versions of the songs performed by the competitors. The finale's vote count included a 'Cumulative iTunes Vote Total' of all singles (from the live shows onwards) purchased during and outside of the various voting windows, with iTunes bonuses previously earned. Between seasons 15 and 17, the bonus multiplier was revised to include streams counting as a vote, and the only artist with the most streams after the voting window ended would receive the bonus. The iTunes bonus multiplier was discontinued beginning with the live shows of the eighteenth season, as the performances are now recorded away from the studios and could not be recorded to iTunes or Spotify; this measure was initially enacted for safety reasons as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In the nineteenth season, studio performances are now recorded on YouTube Music, replacing the traditional iTunes and Spotify recordings that were done between the seasons 2–17, but this was changed back beginning season 20, though bonuses do not apply regardless if the song charted within the top 10 or not.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: Only the studio recording of the contestants' performances, not the live performance, were available on iTunes. In the first season, the battle rounds were recorded in the studio with both artists in the pairing. However, from season 2 to season 18, only the winner's version of the song from the battle round was released. Season 7 reverted to the old style of both artists. With the introduction of the Knockout Rounds in season three, where each contestant sang a separate song, only the winner's single was released.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The "Instant Save" was introduced in season five. During the live elimination episodes, viewers are given a five-minute window to vote for the contestants at risk of elimination by using their Twitter account (and since season 17, the official app) to decide which contestant will move on to the next show, starting with the Top 13. Home viewers can only vote once per account for one contestant of their choice. Since season six, the instant saves now function as a last-chance performance where artists perform an additional song to rally votes.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: CeeLo Green of Gnarls Barkley and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 became the first confirmed coaches in February 2011, followed by Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton in March. Aguilera and Green did not return for season four and were replaced by Shakira and Usher. Aguilera and Green then returned for season five, while Shakira and Usher returned for season six. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in February 2014, Green revealed that he would not be returning to "The Voice". On March 31, 2014, it was announced that Pharrell Williams would become Green's replacement. On April 19, 2014, it was announced that No Doubt's Gwen Stefani would replace Aguilera in season seven due to her pregnancy. On May 20, 2014, Shakira and Usher confirmed that after season six, they would focus on their music. On March 25, 2016, Miley Cyrus confirmed that following her role as key advisor during the tenth season that she would be joining the series once again in its eleventh season as a coach. That same day, Alicia Keys was also announced to be joining the series as a coach for the eleventh season. On October 18, 2016, it was announced that Stefani would re-join the coaches' panel for the series' twelfth season, alongside returning coaches Keys, Levine and Shelton; it was also confirmed that Cyrus would return for the thirteenth season.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: On April 27, 2017, in an interview published by TV Insider, Keys confirmed that the twelfth season would be her last. She stated, "Who knows what the future holds, but I know this one is my final season." On May 10, 2017, NBC announced that Jennifer Hudson would join the coaches lineup for the series' thirteenth season alongside Cyrus, Levine and Shelton. On May 11, 2017, it was announced that Kelly Clarkson would be a coach in season fourteen in 2018. On October 18, 2017, NBC announced that Alicia Keys would return to the series for the 14th season. On May 10, 2018, it was announced that Hudson would return for the series' fifteenth season after a one-season hiatus joining Clarkson, Levine, and Shelton. Kelsea Ballerini also joined season fifteen as the fifth coach for the Comeback Stage of the competition. On September 13, 2018, John Legend was announced as a coach for the show's sixteenth season, alongside returning coaches Clarkson, Levine and Shelton.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: On February 25, 2019, it was announced that Bebe Rexha will be the fifth coach for season 16 Comeback Stage. In May 2019, it was announced that all four coaches from the same sixteenth season would return for the series' seventeenth season. Later that month, it was announced that Levine would exit the series; Stefani was announced to be returning to the coaching panel as his successor. In October 2019, it was announced that Nick Jonas would join the show as a coach for its eighteenth season, alongside returning coaches Shelton, Clarkson and Legend. In June 2020, it was announced that Stefani would be returning to the coaching panel, replacing Jonas, for the nineteenth season, alongside returning coaches Shelton, Clarkson and Legend. In November of the same year, it was announced Stefani would again depart the coaching panel ahead of its twentieth season, and would be replaced by returning Jonas. In March 2021, it was announced that Ariana Grande would replace Jonas for season twenty-one alongside returning coaches Clarkson, Legend and Shelton. In May 2022, it was announced that Stefani would be returning to the coaching panel for season twenty-two alongside returning coaches Legend and Shelton. It was later confirmed that Clarkson would also not be returning to the series in 2022, while Camila Cabello would enter the coaching panel as a new coach. On October 11, 2022, it was confirmed that Shelton and Clarkson would be returning for season 23, along with new coaches Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan. It was also announced that Shelton will leave the show after season 23.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: Carson Daly has hosted the series since the inaugural season. Alison Haislip served as the original "backstage, online and social media correspondent" and was replaced by Christina Milian. Milian did not return for season five, at which point Daly assumed the duties as the social media correspondent.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: Battle round advisors are listed first; additional advisors and their roles are denoted by superscripts.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: In 2016, a "New York Times" study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that "The Voice" "is most popular in North Dakota and least popular in New York. It was behind only "Duck Dynasty" and "Fast N' Loud" in its correlation with Trump voters".


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The first season premiered strong at 11.78 million viewers and actually grew upon that audience through its first season. In the 18–49 demographic, the show constantly found itself in the top 5. For its average season rating, the show landed itself as No. 20 with total viewers at nearly 12 million viewers. In the 18–49 rankings, the show was No. 4 at a 5.4 ranking.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The second season premiered on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5, 2012, and for a while managed to keep a 6.0 in the adults 18–49 demographic and 17 million viewers. Partnering "The Voice" with "Smash" (NBC's musical drama) helped NBC win the Monday night ratings. However, by Monday, April 9, the ratings had fallen to a 4.0 rating in the adult 18–49 demographic.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The third season premiered on Monday, September 10, 2012, to 12.28 million viewers and a 4.2 rating in the 18–49 demographic and has since then grown to a season-high 4.8 rating in the 18–49 demographic on October 8, October 15 and 29, 2012 and a 4.9 rating in the finale. "The Voice", along with NBC's new drama, "Revolution" has once again led NBC to win every Monday night of the season so far, just like it did last season. On Tuesdays, comedies "Go On" and "The New Normal" has been successful thanks to "The Voice", leading NBC to be the only network of the "Big 5" to grow in ratings from last season.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The fourth season premiered on Monday, March 25, 2013, to a 13.64 million viewer audience, scoring a 4.8 in the 18–49 demographic but fell back to a 12.41 million viewer audience. In the 18–49 demographic, this first episode had a 4.1 score.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The fifth season premiered on Monday, September 23, 2013, scoring 14.98 million viewers and a 5.1 in the 18–49 demographic.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The sixth season premiered on February 24, 2014, and was watched by 15.74 million viewers with a 4.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by 0.76 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The seventh season premiered on September 22, 2014, and was watched by 12.95 million viewers with a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by 2.91 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The eighth season premiered on February 23, 2015, and was watched by 13.97 million viewers with a 4.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by 1.02 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The ninth season premiered on September 21, 2015, and was watched by 12.37 million viewers with a 3.5 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was down from last fall's premiere by 0.48 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The tenth season premiered on February 29, 2016, and was watched by 13.33 million viewers with a 3.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by 0.96 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The eleventh season premiered on September 19, 2016, and was watched by 12.10 million viewers with a 3.3 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It is down from last season's premiere by 1.23 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The twelfth season premiered on February 27, 2017, and was watched by 13.03 million viewers with a 3.1 in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by 0.93 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The thirteenth season premiered on September 25, 2017, and was watched by 10.57 million viewers with a 2.6 in the 18–49 demographic. It is down from last season's premiere by 2.46 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The fourteenth season premiered on February 26, 2018, and was watched by 12.31 million viewers with a 2.8 in the 18–49 demographic. It is up from last season's premiere by 1.74 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The fifteenth season premiered on September 24, 2018, and was watched by 9.66 million viewers with a 2.0 in the 18–49 demographic. This is the second lowest-rated season premiere to date.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The sixteenth season premiered on February 25, 2019, and was watched by 10.77 million viewers with a 2.1 in the 18–49 demographic. This was up from the previous season by 1.11 million viewers.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The seventeenth season premiered on September 23, 2019, and was watched by 8.93 million viewers with a 1.7 in the 18–49 demographic marking the lowest season premiere to date.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The eighteenth season premiered on February 24, 2020, with 8.99 million viewers with a 1.5 in the 18–49 demographic marking a new low for a season premiere.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The nineteenth season premiered on October 19, 2020, with 8.20 million viewers with a 1.2 in the 18–49 demographic marking the latest new series low.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The twentieth season premiered on March 1, 2021, with 7.89 million viewers with a 1.1 in the 18–49 demographic marking the latest new series low.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The twenty-first season premiered on September 20, 2021, with 7.22 million viewers with a 1.1 in the 18–49 demographic marking the latest news series low in viewers but steady in the demographic.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The twenty-second season premiered on September 19, 2022, with 6.12 million viewers with a 0.6 in the 18-49 demographic marking the latest series low in both demographic.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: "The Voice: I Want You" is a video game based on the television show. It was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Wii U on October 21, 2014, and was published by Activision. The game includes a microphone and has songs from the show including songs performed by the coaches.


title: The Voice (American TV series)

text: The show premiered in Canada on April 26, 2011, on CTV. In Asia, the series began airing on August 21, 2011, on AXN and was transferred to Star World (now Fox Life) starting in Season 11 until cessation of transmission on October 1, 2021. It premiered in New Zealand on July 16, 2011, on TV2, in Australia on August 9, 2011, on Go!, in South Africa on October 5, 2011, on SABC 3, and on March 31, 2012, in the Philippines on Studio 23 (now S+A). On May 22, 2019, it premiered in Germany on sixx starting Season 14.


title: Foundation series

text: The "Foundation" series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories in 1942–50, and subsequently in three collections in 1951–53, for thirty years the series was a trilogy: "Foundation"; "Foundation and Empire"; and "Second Foundation". It won the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966. Asimov began adding new volumes in 1981, with two sequels: "Foundation's Edge" and "Foundation and Earth", and two prequels: "Prelude to Foundation" and "Forward the Foundation".


title: Foundation series

text: The premise of the stories is that, in the waning days of a future Galactic Empire, the mathematician Hari Seldon spends his life developing a theory of psychohistory, a new and effective mathematics of sociology. Using statistical laws of mass action, it can predict the future of large populations. Seldon foresees the imminent fall of the Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a Dark Age lasting 30,000 years before a second empire arises. Although the momentum of the Empire's fall is too great to stop, Seldon devises a plan by which "the onrushing mass of events must be deflected just a little" to eventually limit this interregnum to just one thousand years.


title: Foundation series

text: The original trilogy of novels collected a series of eight short stories published in "Astounding Science-Fiction" magazine between May 1942 and January 1950. According to Asimov, the premise was based on ideas in Edward Gibbon's "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", and was invented spontaneously on his way to meet with editor John W. Campbell, with whom he developed the concepts of the collapse of the Galactic Empire, the civilization-preserving Foundations, and psychohistory. Asimov wrote these early stories in his West Philadelphia apartment when he worked at the Philadelphia Naval Yard.


title: Foundation series

text: The first four stories were collected, along with a new introductory story, and published by Gnome Press in 1951 as "Foundation". The later stories were published in pairs by Gnome as "Foundation and Empire" (1952) and "Second Foundation" (1953), resulting in the "Foundation Trilogy", as the series is still known.


title: Foundation series

text: In 1981, Asimov was persuaded by his publishers to write a fourth book, which became "Foundation's Edge" (1982).


title: Foundation series

text: Four years later, Asimov followed up with yet another sequel, "Foundation and Earth" (1986), which was followed by the prequels "Prelude to Foundation" (1988) and "Forward the Foundation" (1993), published after his 1992 death. During the two-year lapse between writing the sequels and prequels, Asimov had tied in his "Foundation" series with his various other series, creating a single unified universe. The basic link is mentioned in "Foundation's Edge": an obscure myth about a first wave of space settlements with robots and then a second without. The idea is the one developed in "Robots of Dawn", which, in addition to showing the way that the second wave of settlements was to be allowed, illustrates the benefits and shortcomings of the first wave of settlements and their so-called "C/Fe" (carbon/iron, signifying humans and robots together) culture. In this same book, the word "psychohistory" is used to describe the nascent idea of Seldon's work. Some of the drawbacks to this style of colonization, also called "Spacer" culture, are also exemplified by the events described all the way back in 1957's "The Naked Sun".


title: Foundation series

text: The link between the Robot and Foundation universes was tightened by letting the robot R. Daneel Olivaw - originally introduced in "The Caves of Steel" - live on for tens of thousands of years and play a major role behind the scenes in both the Galactic Empire in its heyday and in the rise of the two Foundations to take its place.


title: Foundation series

text: The plot of the seven novels follows the series in-universe chronology, not the order of publication. After many years as a trilogy comprising "Foundation", "Foundation and Empire", and "Second Foundation", the series was expanded with two prequels and two sequels.


title: Foundation series

text: "Prelude to Foundation" opens on the planet Trantor, the empire's capital planet, the day after Hari Seldon has given a speech at a mathematics conference. Several parties become aware of the content of his speech (that using mathematical formulas, it may be possible to predict the future course of human history). Seldon is hounded by the Emperor and various employed thugs who are working surreptitiously, which forces him into exile. Over the course of the book, Seldon and Dors Venabili, a female companion and professor of history, are taken from location to location by Chetter Hummin who, under the guise of a reporter, introduces them to various Trantorian walks of life in his attempts to keep Seldon hidden from the Emperor.


title: Foundation series

text: Throughout their adventures all over Trantor, Seldon continuously denies that psychohistory is a realistic science. Even if feasible, it may take several decades to develop. Hummin, however, is convinced that Seldon knows something, so he continuously presses him to work out a starting point to develop psychohistory.


title: Foundation series

text: Eventually, after much traveling and introductions to various, diverse cultures on Trantor, Seldon realizes that using the entire known galaxy as a starting point is too overwhelming; he then decides to use Trantor as a model to work out the science, with a goal of later using the applied knowledge on the rest of the galaxy.


title: Foundation series

text: Eight years after the events of "Prelude", Seldon has worked out the science of psychohistory and has applied it on a galactic scale. His notability and fame increase and he is eventually promoted to First Minister to the Emperor. As the book progresses, Seldon loses those closest to him, including his wife, Dors Venabili, as his own health deteriorates into old age. Having worked his entire adult life to understand psychohistory, Seldon instructs his granddaughter, Wanda, to set up the Second Foundation.


title: Foundation series

text: Called forth to stand trial on Trantor for allegations of treason (for foreshadowing the decline of the Galactic Empire), Seldon explains that his science of psychohistory foresees many alternatives, all of which result in the Galactic Empire eventually falling. If humanity follows its current path, the Empire will fall and 30,000 years of turmoil will overcome humanity before a second empire arises. However, an alternative path allows for the intervening years to be only one thousand if Seldon is allowed to collect the most intelligent minds and create a compendium of all human knowledge, entitled the "Encyclopedia Galactica". The board is still wary, but allows Seldon to assemble whomever he needs, provided he and the "Encyclopedists" be exiled to a remote planet, Terminus. Seldon agrees to these terms – and also secretly establishes a second foundation of which almost nothing is known, which he says is at the "opposite end" of the galaxy.


title: Foundation series

text: After fifty years on Terminus, and with Seldon now dead, the inhabitants find themselves in a crisis. With four powerful planets surrounding their own, the Encyclopedists have no defenses but their own intelligence. At the same time, a vault left by Seldon is due to automatically open. The vault reveals a pre-recorded hologram of Seldon, who informs the Encyclopedists that their entire reason for being on Terminus is a fraud, insofar as Seldon did not actually care whether or not an encyclopedia was created, only that the population was placed on Terminus and the events needed by his calculations were set in motion. In reality, the recording discloses, Terminus was set up to reduce the dark ages based on his calculations. It will develop by facing intermittent and extreme "crises" – known as "Seldon Crises" – which the laws governing psychohistory show will inevitably be overcome, simply because human nature will cause events to fall in particular ways which lead to the intended goal. The recording reveals that the present events are the first such crisis, reminds them that a second foundation was also formed at the "opposite end" of the galaxy, and then falls silent.


title: Foundation series

text: The Mayor of Terminus City, Salvor Hardin, proposes to play the planets against each other. His plan is a success; the Foundation remains untouched, and he becomes its effective ruler. Meanwhile, the minds of the Foundation continue to develop newer and greater technologies which are more compact and powerful than the Empire's equivalents. Using its scientific advantages, Terminus develops trade routes with nearby planets, eventually taking them over when its technology becomes a much-needed commodity. The interplanetary traders effectively become diplomats to other planets. One such trader, Hober Mallow, becomes powerful enough to challenge and win the office of Mayor and, by cutting off supplies to a nearby region, also succeeds in adding more planets to the Foundation's control.


title: Foundation series

text: An ambitious general of the current emperor of the galaxy perceives the Foundation as a growing threat and orders an attack on it, using the Empire's still-mighty fleet of war vessels. The Emperor, initially supportive, becomes suspicious of his general's long-term motive for the attack and recalls the fleet despite being close to victory. In spite of its undoubted inferiority in purely military terms, the Foundation emerges as the victor, and the Empire itself is defeated. Seldon's hologram reappears in the vault on Terminus, and explains to the Foundation that this opening of the vault follows a conflict whose result was inevitable whatever might have been done – a weak Imperial navy could not have attacked them, while a strong navy would have shown itself by its successes to be a direct threat to the Emperor himself and been recalled.


title: Foundation series

text: A century later, an unknown outsider called the Mule has begun taking over planets at a rapid pace. The Foundation comes to realize, too late, that the Mule is unforeseen by Seldon's plan. Toran and Bayta Darell, accompanied by Ebling Mis – the Foundation's greatest psychologist – and a court jester named Magnifico familiar with the Mule, set out to Trantor to find the Second Foundation, hoping to bring an end to the Mule's reign. Mis studies furiously in the Great Library of Trantor to figure out the Second Foundation's location in order to seek its help. He is successful and also deduces that the Mule's success stems from his being a mutant who is able to change the emotions of others, a power he used to first instill fear in the inhabitants of his conquered planets, then to make his enemies devoutly loyal to him. Mis is murdered by Bayta Darell before he can reveal the location because she realized that Magnifico is in fact the Mule and has been using his gifts to help Mis do his research, so that the Mule can subjugate the Second Foundation. The Mule ruefully acknowledges that his feelings for Bayta prevented him from tampering with her mind to block just such interference. He leaves Trantor to rule over his conquered planets while continuing his search.


title: Foundation series

text: As the Mule comes closer to finding it, the mysterious Second Foundation comes briefly out of hiding to face the threat directly. While the first Foundation has developed the physical sciences, the Second Foundation has been developing Seldon's mathematics and the Seldon Plan, along with their use of mental abilities. The Second Foundation launches an operation to deceive and eventually mind control the Mule, whom they have return to rule over his kingdom peacefully for the rest of his life, without any further thought of conquering the Second Foundation.


title: Foundation series

text: However, as a result, the first Foundation learns something of the Second Foundation beyond the simple fact that it exists, and has some understanding of its role. This means their behavior will now be influenced by that knowledge, invalidating the mathematics of the Seldon Plan. This places the Plan itself at great risk. In addition, the First Foundation starts to resentfully consider the other a rival, and a small group secretly begins to develop equipment to detect and block the Second Foundation's mental influence. After many attempts to infer the Second Foundation's whereabouts from the few clues available, the Foundation is led to believe the Second Foundation is located on Terminus (the "opposite end of the galaxy" for a galaxy with a circular shape). The Foundation uncovers and eliminates a group of fifty members of the Second Foundation, believing they have destroyed the Second Foundation.


title: Foundation series

text: In fact, the fifty were volunteers who sacrificed themselves so that humanity's collective behavior would once again be predictable and follow the mathematics of the Seldon Plan. The Second Foundation itself, however, is finally revealed to be located on the former Imperial homeworld of Trantor. The clue "at Star's End" was not a physical clue, but was instead based on an old saying, "All roads lead to Trantor, and that is where all stars end."


title: Foundation series

text: Believing the Second Foundation still exists (despite the common belief that it has been extinguished), young politician Golan Trevize is sent into exile by the current Mayor of the Foundation, Harla Branno, to uncover the Second Foundation; Trevize is accompanied by a scholar named Janov Pelorat. The reason for their belief is that, despite the unforeseeable impact of the Mule, the Seldon Plan still appears to be proceeding in accordance with the statements of Seldon's hologram, suggesting that the Second Foundation still exists and is secretly intervening to bring the plan back on course. After a few conversations with Pelorat, Trevize comes to believe that a mythical planet called Earth may hold the secret to the location. No such planet exists in any database, yet several myths and legends all refer to it, and it is Trevize's belief that the planet is deliberately being kept hidden. Unknown to Trevize and Pelorat, Branno is tracking their ship so that, in the event they find the Second Foundation, the first Foundation can take military or other action.


title: Foundation series

text: Meanwhile, Stor Gendibal, a prominent member of the Second Foundation, discovers a simple local on Trantor who has had a very subtle alteration made to her mind, far more delicate than anything the Second Foundation can do. He concludes that a greater force of Mentalics must be active in the Galaxy. Following the events on Terminus, Gendibal endeavors to follow Trevize, reasoning that by doing so, he may find out who has altered the mind of the Trantor native.


title: Foundation series

text: Using the few scraps of reliable information within the various myths, Trevize and Pelorat discover a planet called Gaia which is inhabited solely by Mentalics, to such an extent that every organism and inanimate object on the planet shares a common mind. Both Branno and Gendibal, who have separately followed Trevize, also reach Gaia at the same time. Gaia reveals that it has engineered this situation because it wishes to do what is best for humanity but cannot be sure what is best. Trevize's purpose, faced with the leaders of both the First and Second Foundations and Gaia itself, is to be trusted to make the best decision among the three main alternatives for the future of the human race: the First Foundation's path, based on mastery of the physical world and its traditional political organization (i.e., Empire); the Second Foundation's path, based on mentalics and probable rule by an elite using mind control; or Gaia's path of absorption of the entire Galaxy into one shared, harmonious living entity in which all beings, and the galaxy itself, would be a part.


title: Foundation series

text: After Trevize makes his decision for Gaia's path, the intellect of Gaia adjusts both Branno's and Gendibal's minds so that each believes he or she has succeeded in a significant task. (Branno believes she has successfully negotiated a treaty tying Sayshell to the Foundation, and Gendibal – now leader of the Second Foundation – believes that the Second Foundation is victorious and should continue as normal.) Trevize remains, but is uncertain as to why he is "sure" that Gaia is the correct outcome for the future.


title: Foundation series

text: Still uncertain about his decision, Trevize continues on with the search for Earth along with Pelorat and a local of Gaia, advanced in Mentalics, known as Blissenobiarella (usually referred to simply as Bliss). Eventually, Trevize finds three sets of coordinates which are very old. Adjusting them for time, he realizes that his ship's computer does not list any planet in the vicinity of the coordinates. When he physically visits the locations, he rediscovers the forgotten Spacer worlds of Aurora, Solaria, and finally Melpomenia. After searching and facing different dilemmas on each planet, Trevize still has not discovered any answers.


title: Foundation series

text: Aurora and Melpomenia are long deserted, but Solaria contains a small population which is extremely advanced in the field of Mentalics. When the lives of the group are threatened, Bliss uses her abilities (and the shared intellect of Gaia) to destroy the Solarian who is about to kill them. This leaves behind a small child who will be put to death if left alone, so Bliss makes the decision to keep the child as they quickly escape the planet.


title: Foundation series

text: Eventually, Trevize discovers Earth, but it, again, contains no satisfactory answers for him (it is also long-since deserted). However, it dawns on Trevize that the answer may not be on Earth, but on Earth's satellite – the Moon. Upon approaching the planet, they are drawn inside the Moon's core, where they meet a robot named R. Daneel Olivaw.


title: Foundation series

text: Olivaw explains that he has been instrumental in guiding human history for thousands of years, having provided the impetus for Seldon to create psychohistory and also the creation of Gaia, but is now close to the end of his ability to maintain himself and will shortly cease to function. Despite replacing his positronic brain (which contains 20,000 years of memories), he is going to die shortly. He explains that no further robotic brain can be devised to replace his current one, or which will let him continue assisting for the benefit of humanity. However, some additional time can be won to ensure the long-term benefit of humanity by merging R. Daneel Olivaw's mind with the organic intellect of a human – in this case, the intellect of the child that the group rescued on Solaria.


title: Foundation series

text: Once again, Trevize is put in the position of deciding if having Olivaw meld with the child's superior intellect would be in the best interests of the galaxy. The decision is left ambiguous (though likely a "yes") as it is implied that the melding of the minds may be to the child's benefit, but that she may have sinister intentions.


title: Foundation series

text: The early stories were inspired by Edward Gibbon's "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire". The plot of the series focuses on the growth and reach of the Foundation, against a backdrop of the "decline and fall of the Galactic Empire." The themes of Asimov's stories were also influenced by the political tendency in science fiction fandom, associated with the Futurians, known as Michelism.


title: Foundation series

text: The focus of the books is the trends through which a civilization might progress, specifically seeking to analyze their progress, using history as a precedent. Although many science fiction novels such as "Nineteen Eighty-Four" or "Fahrenheit 451" do this, their focus is upon how current trends in society might come to fruition and they act as a moral allegory of the modern world. The "Foundation" series, on the other hand, looks at the trends in a wider scope, dealing with societal evolution and adaptation rather than the human and cultural qualities at one point in time. In this Asimov followed the model of Thucydides' work "The History of the Peloponnesian War", as he once acknowledged.


title: Foundation series

text: Furthermore, the concept of psychohistory, which gives the events in the story a sense of rational fatalism, leaves little room for moralization. Hari Seldon himself hopes that his Plan will "reduce 30,000 years of Dark Ages and barbarism to a single millennium," a goal of exceptional moral gravity. Yet events within it are often treated as inevitable and necessary, rather than deviations from the greater good. For example, the Foundation slides gradually into oligarchy and dictatorship prior to the appearance of the galactic conqueror, known as the Mule, who was able to succeed through the random chance of a telepathic mutation. But, for the most part, the book treats the purpose of Seldon's plan as unquestionable, and that slide as being necessary in it, rather than mulling over whether the slide is, on the whole, positive or negative.


title: Foundation series

text: The books also wrestle with the idea of individualism. Hari Seldon's plan is often treated as an inevitable mechanism of society, a vast mindless mob mentality of quadrillions of humans across the galaxy. Many in the series struggle against it, only to fail. However, the plan itself is reliant upon the cunning of individuals such as Salvor Hardin and Hober Mallow to make wise decisions that capitalize on the trends. On the other hand, the Mule, a single individual with mental powers, topples the Foundation and nearly destroys the Seldon plan with his special, unforeseen abilities. To repair the damage the Mule inflicts, the Second Foundation deploys a plan which relies upon individual reactions. Psychohistory is based on group trends and cannot predict with sufficient accuracy the effects of extraordinary, unforeseeable individuals, and as originally presented, the Second Foundation's purpose was to counter this flaw. Later novels would identify the Plan's uncertainties that remained at Seldon's death as the primary reason for the existence of the Second Foundation, which (unlike the First) had retained the capacity to research and further develop psychohistory.


title: Foundation series

text: Asimov tried to end the series with "Second Foundation". However, because of the predicted thousand years until the rise of the next Empire (of which only a few hundred had elapsed), the series lacked a sense of closure. For decades, fans pressured him to write a sequel. In 1982, after a 30-year hiatus, Asimov gave in and wrote what was at the time a fourth volume: "Foundation's Edge". This was followed shortly thereafter by "Foundation and Earth". This novel, which takes place some 500 years after Seldon, ties up all the loose ends and ties all his Robot, Empire, and Foundation novels into a single story. He also opens a brand new line of thought in the last dozen pages regarding Galaxia, a galaxy inhabited by a single collective mind. This concept was never explored further. According to his widow Janet Asimov (in her biography of Isaac, "It's Been a Good Life"), he had no idea how to continue after "Foundation and Earth", so he started writing the prequels.


title: Foundation series

text: In the spring of 1955, Asimov published a future history of humanity in the pages of "Thrilling Wonder Stories" magazine based upon his thought processes concerning the Foundation universe at that point in his life. According to the publication, "the scheme was not originally worked out as a consistent pattern and only includes about one-quarter of his total writings". Because of this, the dating in the "Foundation" series is approximate and inconsistent.


title: Foundation series

text: Asimov estimates that his "Foundation" series takes place nearly 50,000 years into the future, with Hari Seldon born in 47,000 CE. Around this time, the future emperor Cleon I is born in the imperial capital Trantor, 78 years before the Foundation Era (FE) and the events of the original Foundation trilogy. After Cleon inherits the crown, the mathematician Hari Seldon comes to Trantor from Helicon to deliver his theory of psychohistory that predicts the fall of the empire, which triggers the events of "Prelude to Foundation". "Forward the Foundation" picks up the story a few years later, with the emperor being assassinated and Seldon retiring from politics.


title: Foundation series

text: At the start of the Foundation Era, the events of the original "Foundation" novel (first published in "Astounding Science Fiction" as a series of short stories) take place, and the in-universe Foundation Era truly begins. According to Asimov, he intended this to take place around the year 47000 CE, with the Empire in decay as it battles the rising Foundation, who emerges as the dominant power a few centuries later. Thus begins the events of the "Foundation and Empire", which include the unpredicted rise of the Mule, who defeats the Foundation thanks to his mutant abilities. The events of "Second Foundation" chronicle the titular Second Foundation's search and defeat of the Mule, and their conflict with the remnants of the original Foundation, averting the Dark Age. Asimov estimates that the Mule rises and falls somewhere around 47300 CE.


title: Foundation series

text: "Foundation's Edge" takes place 500 years after the establishment of the Foundation, outside of the original trilogy of novels. "Foundation and Earth" follows immediately after, with humanity choosing and justifying a third path distinct from the opposing visions of the two Foundations. According to Asimov, the Second Galactic Empire is established 48000 CE, 1000 years after the events of the first novel.


title: Foundation series

text: Asimov himself commented that his fiction's internal history was "actually made up ad hoc. My cross-references in the novels are thrown in as they occur to me and did not come from a systemized history. ... If some reader checks my stories carefully and finds that my dating is internally inconsistent, I can only say I'm not surprised."


title: Foundation series

text: In "Learned Optimism", psychologist Martin Seligman identifies the "Foundation" series as one of the most important influences in his professional life, because of the possibility of predictive sociology based on psychological principles. He also lays claim to the first successful prediction of a major historical (sociological) event, in the 1988 US elections, and he specifically attributes this to a psychological principle.


title: Foundation series

text: In his 1996 book "To Renew America", U. S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote that he was influenced by reading the "Foundation" trilogy in high school.


title: Foundation series

text: Paul Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, credits the "Foundation" series with turning his mind to economics, as the closest existing science to psychohistory.


title: Foundation series

text: The businessman and entrepreneur Elon Musk counts the series among the inspirations for his career. When Musk's Tesla Roadster was launched into space on the maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket in February 2018, amongst other items it carried a 5D optical data storage copy of the "Foundation" series.


title: Foundation series

text: Stating that it "offers a useful summary of some of the dynamics of far-flung imperial Rome", Carl Sagan in 1978 listed the "Foundation" series as an example of how science fiction "can convey bits and pieces, hints and phrases, of knowledge unknown or inaccessible to the reader". In the nonfiction PBS series "", Sagan referred to an "Encyclopedia Galactica" in the episodes "Encyclopaedia Galactica" and "Who Speaks for Earth".


title: Foundation series

text: In 1966, the "Foundation" trilogy beat several other science fiction and fantasy series to receive a special Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series". The runners-up for the award were the "Barsoom series" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the "Future History series" by Robert A. Heinlein, the "Lensman series" by Edward E. Smith and "The Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Foundation series was the only series so honored until the establishment of the "Best Series" category in 2017. Asimov himself wrote that he assumed the one-time award had been created to honor "The Lord of the Rings", and he was amazed when his work won.


title: Foundation series

text: The series has won three other Hugo Awards. "Foundation's Edge" won Best Novel in 1983, and was a bestseller for almost a year. Retrospective Hugo Awards were given in 1996 and 2018 for, respectively, "The Mule" (the major part of "Foundation and Empire") for Best Novel (1946) and "Foundation" (the first story written for the series, and second chapter of the first novel) for Best Short Story (1943).


title: Foundation series

text: Science fiction parodies, such as Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and Harry Harrison's "Bill, the Galactic Hero", often display clear "Foundation" influences. For instance, "The Guide" of the former is a spoof of the "Encyclopedia Galactica", and the series actually mentions the encyclopedia by name, remarking that it is rather "dry", and consequently sells fewer copies than the guide; the latter also features the ultra-urbanized Imperial planet Helior, often parodying the logistics such a planet-city would require, but that Asimov's novel downplays when describing Trantor.


title: Foundation series

text: The 1957 short story "Marius", which set off Poul Anderson's early future history, the "Psychotechnic League", clearly shows the influence of Asimov's Foundation—though moved from the far future of a collapsing Galactic Empire to a near future of a late 20th Century Earth struggling to recover from the devastation of a nuclear Third World War. In this situation, the Finnish Professor Valti starts the science of Psychodynamics, which makes it possible to mathematically predict the future, and The Psychotechnic Institute makes use of Valti's formulas to subtly "guide" and manipulate the emerging world government. The similarity to Seldon and the Foundation is obvious, nor did Anderson try to hide it.


title: Foundation series

text: Frank Herbert also wrote "Dune" as a counterpoint to "Foundation". Tim O'Reilly in his monograph on Herbert wrote that ""Dune" is clearly a commentary on the "Foundation" trilogy. Herbert has taken a look at the same imaginative situation that provoked Asimov's classic—the decay of a galactic empire—and restated it in a way that draws on different assumptions and suggests radically different conclusions. The twist he has introduced into "Dune" is that the Mule, not the Foundation, is his hero."


title: Foundation series

text: In 1995, Donald Kingsbury wrote "Historical Crisis", which he later expanded into a novel, "Psychohistorical Crisis". It takes place about 2,000 years after "Foundation", after the founding of the Second Galactic Empire. It is set in the same fictional universe as the Foundation series, in considerable detail, but with virtually all "Foundation"-specific names either changed (e.g., Kalgan becomes Lakgan), or avoided (psychohistory is created by an unnamed, but often-referenced Founder). The novel explores the ideas of psychohistory in a number of new directions, inspired by more recent developments in mathematics and computer science, as well as by new ideas in science fiction itself.


title: Foundation series

text: In 1998, the novel "Spectre" (part of the Shatnerverse series) by William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens states that the Mirror Universe divergent path has been studied by the "Seldon Psychohistory Institute".


title: Foundation series

text: The oboe-like holophonor in Matt Groening's animated television series "Futurama" is based directly upon the "Visi-Sonor" which Magnifico plays in "Foundation and Empire." The "Visi-Sonor" is also mirrored in an episode of "Special Unit 2", where a child's television character plays an instrument that induces mind control over children.


title: Foundation series

text: During the 2006–2007 Marvel Comics Civil War crossover storyline, in "Fantastic Four" #542 Mister Fantastic revealed his own attempt to develop psychohistory, saying he was inspired after reading the Foundation series.


title: Foundation series

text: According to lead singer Ian Gillan, the hard rock band Deep Purple's song "The Mule" is based on the Foundation character: "Yes, The Mule was inspired by Asimov. It's been a while but I'm sure you've made the right connection... Asimov was required reading in the 1960s."


title: Foundation series

text: An eight-part radio adaptation of the original trilogy, with sound design by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1973—one of the first BBC radio drama serials to be made in stereo. A BBC 7 rerun commenced in July 2003.


title: Foundation series

text: Adapted by Patrick Tull (episodes 1 to 4) and Mike Stott (episodes 5 to 8), the dramatisation was directed by David Cain and starred William Eedle as Hari Seldon, with Geoffrey Beevers as Gaal Dornick, Lee Montague as Salvor Hardin, Julian Glover as Hober Mallow, Dinsdale Landen as Bel Riose, Maurice Denham as Ebling Mis and Prunella Scales as Lady Callia.


title: Foundation series

text: By 1998, New Line Cinema had spent $1.5 million developing a film version of the "Foundation Trilogy". The failure to develop a new franchise was partly a reason the studio signed on to produce "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.


title: Foundation series

text: On July 29, 2008, New Line Cinema co-founders Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne were reported to have been signed on to produce an adaptation of the trilogy by their company Unique Pictures for Warner Brothers.


title: Foundation series

text: However, Columbia Pictures (Sony) successfully bid for the screen rights on January 15, 2009, and then contracted Roland Emmerich to direct and produce. Michael Wimer was named as co-producer.


title: Foundation series

text: Two years later, the studio hired Dante Harper to adapt the books. This project failed to materialize and HBO acquired the rights when they became available in 2014.


title: Foundation series

text: In November 2014, "TheWrap" reported that Jonathan Nolan was writing and producing a TV series based on the "Foundation Trilogy" for HBO. Nolan confirmed his involvement at a Paley Center event on April 13, 2015.


title: Foundation series

text: In June 2017, "Deadline" reported that Skydance Media would produce a TV series. In August 2018 it was announced that Apple TV+ had commissioned a 10 episode straight-to-series order. However, on April 18, 2019, Josh Friedman left the project as co-writer and co-showrunner. This was apparently planned, with either Friedman or screenwriter David Goyer leaving and the other staying. On June 22, 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the series would be released in 2021. On 13 March 2020, Apple suspended all active filming on their shows due to the COVID-19 outbreak; filming resumed on October 6, 2020.


title: Foundation series

text: The series is filmed at Troy Studios, Limerick, Ireland and the budget was expected to be approximately $50 million. The first two episodes premiered on September 24, 2021. Metacritic gave the first season a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: "Remake" was announced in 2015 following years of speculation. Several key staff members returned, including character designer Tetsuya Nomura as director, director Yoshinori Kitase as producer, scenario writer Kazushige Nojima as story and scenario writer, event planner Motomu Toriyama as a co-director, and composer Nobuo Uematsu who returned to write the main theme. The staff redesigned the characters to balance realism and stylization.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: "Remake" was released for the PlayStation 4 in April 2020. It received positive reviews, with praise for its graphics, gameplay, narrative, and music. Critics praised the expanded story and the updated battle system for its strategic elements and visual flourishes, but the linearity and repetitive sidequests received criticism. "Final Fantasy VII Remake" became one of the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 games, selling more than 3.5 million copies within three days and over five million by August 2020. An enhanced version, was released for the PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2021. A second game, "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth", is scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 for PlayStation 5.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: "Final Fantasy VII Remake" is the first in a planned series of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game "Final Fantasy VII". It covers the first section of the original game, set in the metropolis Midgar.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: Players control Cloud Strife, a former Shinra soldier turned mercenary who joins the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE to fight the Shinra Corporation, who have been draining the planet's life energy. Every element has been remade, using real-time polygonal graphics as opposed to the pre-rendered environments of the original. The story includes major expansions to character development and some notable plot additions.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: Exploration and battle mechanics both take place in real-time, like "Final Fantasy XV". The game features an altered Active Time Battle (ATB) system from the original, which gradually fills up slowly, or can fill faster with attacks. Once it is filled, the player can halt the action and use special abilities such as magic, items, and special moves. The player can assign these special abilities to shortcut buttons, allowing them to play in real-time without pausing. Each special ability uses up a segment of the ATB bar. The player can switch between party members at any time during battle. Each party member has their own individual skills, such as Cloud's close-quarters melee attacks and Barret's long-range distance attacks. Players are able to use magic and summons of large creatures, and a Limit Break gauge allows characters to perform more powerful attacks once charged. While the game has more real-time elements, strategic elements still remain, such as selecting weapons and magic for each character to wield.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: Cloud Strife (Cody Christian/Takahiro Sakurai) is a former member of SOLDIER, the elite warriors of the Shinra Electric Power Company. Shinra uses Mako, a refined form of the Planet's spiritual energy harvested by massive reactors, to power the metropolis of Midgar and develop cutting-edge technology. Disillusioned with Shinra, and at the request of his childhood friend Tifa Lockhart (Britt Baron/Ayumi Ito), Cloud takes a mercenary job for Avalanche, an eco-terrorist organization, led by Barret Wallace (John Eric Bentley/Masahiro Kobayashi). Barret believes excessive Mako harvesting harms the planet, leading a bombing attack on a Mako reactor. In the aftermath, Cloud is haunted by memories of Sephiroth (Tyler Hoechlin/Toshiyuki Morikawa), an enigmatic former SOLDIER member, and meets the florist Aerith Gainsborough (Briana White/Maaya Sakamoto). Strange ghost-like entities, who alternately help and hinder Cloud throughout the game, cause him to be recruited for another attack, in which he goes missing in action. Cloud meets Aerith again and protects her from Shinra forces. After they reunite with Tifa, the trio learns that Shinra plans to collapse a piece of the "plate" onto the Sector 7 slums. Avalanche fails to stop Shinra's plan, and the plate falls. Aerith helps most of the population and Barret's daughter Marlene evacuate in time, but is captured by Shinra.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: Cloud, Tifa, and Barret infiltrate Shinra headquarters and rescue Aerith from being used as an experiment by Shinra scientist Hojo (James Sie/Shigeru Chiba). She reveals that she is the last descendant of the Cetra, a near-extinct precursor race who resided in a "Promised Land", which Shinra covets for its boundless Mako reserves. The group meets a talking wolf-like creature called Red XIII (Max Mittelman/Kappei Yamaguchi), who explains that the ghostly entities are called Whispers. They exist to ensure that the course of destiny is not altered, by correcting any deviations from this course. Meanwhile, Sephiroth infiltrates Shinra and steals a mysterious entity known as "Jenova", connected to the extinction of the Cetra.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: In a confrontation at the top of Shinra headquarters, Sephiroth murders the president of Shinra. Shinra's son Rufus (Josh Bowman/Tōru Ōkawa) assumes control of the company and fights Cloud, but is defeated. Cloud and his allies flee the scene via the Midgar Expressway, but find Sephiroth waiting for them at the end. After defeating Whisper Harbinger, an entity formed by an amalgam of Whispers, Cloud's group battles Sephiroth. Sephiroth separates Cloud from the group, asking him to join him and defy fate. Cloud refuses and fights Sephiroth, but is defeated, although Sephiroth spares him and departs. Meanwhile, as Cloud's group leaves Midgar to stop Sephiroth, SOLDIER Zack Fair (Caleb Pierce/Kenichi Suzumura) defeats an army of Shinra forces, and departs with Cloud to Midgar.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: "Intergrade" adds additional ending scenes showing Cloud and his group arriving at the village of Kalm after hitching a ride with Chocobo Bill, and Zack entering the Sector 5 church searching for Aerith.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: Shortly after the bombing of Mako Reactor 5, Yuffie Kisaragi (Suzie Yeung/Yumi Kakazu), a ninja working for Wutai, arrives at Midgar and meets up with her partner Sonon Kusakabe (Aleks Le/Yoshimasa Hosoya) in order to steal Shinra's "Ultimate Materia". With the help of a local Avalanche cell, Yuffie and Sonon infiltrate the lab under Shinra headquarters and fight through Shinra's forces before discovering that the Ultimate Materia is not yet complete. As they try to escape, they are confronted by a Shinra supersoldier named Nero (Sean Chiplock/Ryōtarō Okiayu). Outmatched, Sonon sacrifices himself to ensure Yuffie can escape. She leaves Shinra headquarters just in time to see the Sector 7 plate fall. Some time later, Yuffie has left Midgar and muses that in order to achieve her desire to see Shinra's downfall, she will need a team to help her.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: "Final Fantasy VII" was developed by Square for the PlayStation console and released in 1997. Its staff included producer, co-writer and series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, director and co-writer Yoshinori Kitase, artist Yusuke Naora, character designer and co-writer Tetsuya Nomura, and writer Kazushige Nojima. The game was a critical and commercial success, and established the "Final Fantasy" series as a major franchise. It was expanded through the multimedia project "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", comprising additional games, films, and other media.


title: Final Fantasy VII Remake

text: In the early 2000s, Square announced a remake for PlayStation 2 alongside "Final Fantasy VIII" and "Final Fantasy IX", but nothing further was heard of the project. It was abandoned because of the increased challenge of developing on new hardware and would have necessitated cutting content. The staff were preoccupied with developing "Final Fantasy XIII" and its sequels, and "Remake" would have been an equally large or larger project hard to undertake at the same time. Once the "XIII" series ended, the team was free to pursue other projects. Kitase claims that since the "XIII", he had been asked multiple times about developing this game. Co-director Naoki Hamaguchi was originally just a fan of the game so he was glad about his inclusion into the core development team.