 Chen was born in Shanghai on October 8 , 1981 , and lived there until 2003 . His parents were " a middle @-@ class family " , and his father worked in the software development industry , having previously worked on " one of the earliest giant computers in China " . Although Chen was interested in art and drawing as a young child , his father influenced him towards computers , entering him in programming contests from when he was 10 years old . He found himself interested in video games that he saw there , but was not as enthusiastic about programming . While a teenager , he had deep emotional experiences with games that he played , including The Legend of Sword and Fairy , which he ascribes to the fact that he was not as exposed to books , films , or life events that other people would have had those experiences with . These experiences drove him to try to create those types of feelings in games as an adult , when more emotional maturity had caused his " standards to rise " in what would move him in a game . It was during high school that he chose the English name Jenova after a character in Final Fantasy VII , wanting a name that would be unique anywhere he used it as there were " thousands of Jason Chens " . 
 Chen was born in Shanghai on October 8 , 1981 , and lived there until 2003 . His parents <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> " a middle @-@ class family " , and his father worked in the software development industry , <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>having</mark></a> previously worked on " one of the earliest giant computers in China " . Although Chen was interested in art and drawing as a young child , his father influenced him towards computers , entering him in programming contests from when he was 10 years old . He found himself interested in video games that he saw there , but <a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>not</mark></a>as enthusiastic about programming . While a teenager , he had deep emotional experiences with games <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>he played , including The Legend of Sword and Fairy , which he <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>ascribes</mark></a> to the fact that he was not as exposed to <a href='negative_concord' title='7'><mark>books</mark></a> , films , or life events that other people would <a href='been_done' title='8'><mark>have</mark></a> had those experiences with . These experiences drove him to try to create those types of feelings in games as an adult , when more emotional maturity <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>had</mark></a> caused his " standards to rise " in what would move him in a game . It was during high school that he chose the English name Jenova after a character in Final Fantasy VII , wanting a name <a href='null_relcl' title='10'><mark>that</mark></a>would be unique anywhere he used it as <a href='dey_it' title='11'><mark>there</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='12'><mark>were</mark></a> " thousands of Jason Chens " . 
Chen was born in Shanghai on October 8 , 1981 , and lived dere until 2003 . His parents was " a middle @-@ class family " , and his father worked in the software development industry , done previously worked on " one of da earliest giant computers in China " . Although Chen was interested in art and drawing as a young child , his father influenced him towards computers , entering em in programming contests from when he was 10 years old . He found himself interested in video games that he saw there , but ain't as enthusiastic abt programming . While a teenager , he had deep emotional experiences wid games he played , including The Legend of Sword and Fairy , which he ascribe to tdafact dat he was not as exposed to no books , films , or life events tdatother people would done had those experiences wwitt. These experiences drove hemto try to create those types of feelins in games as an adult , when more emotional maturity done caused his " standards to rise " in wht would move him in a game . It was during high school thdate chose the English name Jenova after a character in Final Fantasy VII , wanting a name would be unique anywhere he used it as it was " thousands of Jason Chens " .