query: Afghanistan is the source of only the Saffarid dynasty.

pos: Afghanistan Afghanistan ( -LSB- æfˈɡænᵻstæn -RSB- Pashto/Dari : , Afġānistān ) , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia . It has a population of 33 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world . It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east ; Iran in the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan in the north ; and China in the far northeast . Its territory covers 652,000 km2 , making it the 41st largest country in the world .   Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era , and the country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia . Through the ages the land has been home to various peoples and witnessed numerous military campaigns , notably by Alexander the Great , Mauryas , Muslim Arabs , Mongols , British , Soviet , and in the modern era by Western powers . The land also served as the source from which the Kushans , Hephthalites , Samanids , Saffarids , Ghaznavids , Ghorids , Khiljis , Mughals , Hotaks , Durranis , and others have risen to form major empires .   The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century . In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the `` Great Game '' between British India and the Russian Empire . Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 , King Amanullah unsuccessfully attempted to modernize the country . It remained peaceful during Zahir Shah 's forty years of monarchy . A series of coups in the 1970s was followed by a series of civil wars that devastated much of Afghanistan and continues to this day .   Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic with Islam as an official state religion . It is a member of the United Nations , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Group of 77 , the Economic Cooperation Organization , and the Non-Aligned Movement . The country 's economy is ranked 108th in the world with the GDP of $ 64.08 billion .

neg: Kabul River The Kabul River , the classical Cophes -LSB- ˈkoʊfiːz -RSB- , is a 700 km long river that emerges in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and empties into the Indus River near Attock , Pakistan . It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass . The Kabul River passes through the cities of Kabul and Jalalabad in Afghanistan before flowing into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan some 25 km north of the Durand Line border crossing at Torkham . The major tributaries of the Kabul River are the Logar , Panjshir , Kunar , Alingar , Bara and Swat rivers .   The Kabul River is little more than a trickle for most of the year , but swells in summer due to melting snows in the Hindu Kush Range . Its largest tributary is the Kunar River , which starts out as the Mastuj River , flowing from the Chiantar glacie in Brughil valley in Chitral , Pakistan and after flowing south into Afghanistan it is met by the Bashgal river flowing from Nurestan . The Kunar meets the Kabul near Jalalabad . In spite of the Kunar carrying more water than the Kabul , the river continues as the Kabul River after this confluence , mainly for the political and historical significance of the name .   The Kabul River is impounded by several dams . The Naghlu , Surobi , and Darunta dams are located in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan . The Warsak Dam is in Pakistan , approximately 20 km northwest of the city of Peshawar .

neg: Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo -- Afghan War ( Pashto : د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه ) was fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880 , when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty , the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan . This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan . The war ended after the British emerged victorious against the Afghan rebels and the Afghans agreed to let the British attain all of their geopolitical objectives from the Treaty of Gandamak . Most of the British and Indian soldiers withdrew from Afghanistan . The Afghan tribes were permitted to maintain internal rule and local customs but they had to cede control of the area 's foreign relations to the British , who , in turn , guaranteed the area 's freedom from foreign military domination . This was aimed to thwart expansion by the Russian Empire into India .

neg: Sahira Sharif Sahira Sharif ( also spelled Saira Sharif ) is an Afghan politicians who was elected to represent Khost Province in Afghanistan 's Wolesi Jirga , the lower house of its National Legislature , in 2005 .   A report on Khost prepared at the Navy Postgraduate School stated that she `` was possibly associated with Hezb-e Islami '' . A member of the Pashtun ethnic group , she attended University and may have had a Master 's degree .  As a member of parliament , she sat on the Education Committee . A former Hezb-e Islami leader , she presented herself in 2005 as an independent candidate , and was believed to support the Hamid Karzai administration .   She is described as a women 's rights activist .   During the 2009 presidential election , she supported Ashraf Ghani .   In the 2010 Afghan Parliamentary Elections , she ran in Khost province as an independent .

neg: National Revolutionary Party of Afghanistan National Revolutionary Party ( Pashto : حزب انقلاب ملی Hezb Enqilab Mile ) was a political party in Afghanistan . The party was founded in 1974 by President Mohammed Daoud Khan , who had seized control of Afghanistan from his cousin , King Zahir , in a bloodless coup on July 17 , 1973 .   The party was formed in an attempt by Daoud to garner support and grassroots backing for his republican regime . Daoud also intended the party to undermine support in Afghanistan for the communists , who had actually helped him come to power in 1973 . To this end , the party sought to be an umbrella organization for all of the factions of the progressive movement in Afghanistan . In order to help the party in its attempt to garner support , all other political parties were banned .   The party was run by a central committee which comprised Maj. Gen. Ghulam Haidar Rasuli ; Defense Minister , Sayyid Abd Ullah ; Finance Minister , Dr. Abd Ul Majid ; and Professor Abd Ul Quyyum .   The party did not survive the Saur Revolution in April 1978 , which saw the overthrow and death of Daoud and his family , and the rise to power of the communist People 's Democratic Party of Afghanistan .

neg: Civilian casualties in the war in Afghanistan (2001–2014) During the war in Afghanistan ( 2001 -- 14 ) , over 26,000 civilian deaths due to war-related violence have been documented ; 29,900 civilians have been wounded . Over 91,000 Afghans , including civilians , soldiers and militants , are recorded to have been killed in the conflict , and the number who have died through indirect causes related to the war may include an additional 360,000 people . These numbers do not include those who have died in Pakistan .   The war , launched by the United States as `` Operation Enduring Freedom '' in 2001 , began with an initial air campaign that almost immediately prompted concerns over the number of Afghan civilians being killed as well as international protests . With civilian deaths from airstrikes rising again in recent years , the number of Afghan civilians being killed by foreign military operations has led to mounting tension between the foreign countries and the government of Afghanistan . In May 2007 , President Hamid Karzai summoned foreign military commanders to warn them of the consequences of further Afghan civilian deaths . The civilian losses are a continuation of the extremely high civilian losses experienced during the Soviet War in Afghanistan in the 1980s , and the three periods of civil war following it : 1989 -- 1992 , 1992 -- 1996 , and 1996 -- 2001 .

neg: Restoration of Tahmasp II to the Safavid throne The Restoration of Tahmasp II to the Safavid throne took place in the latter part of 1729 by a series of battles fought between Nader , Tahmasp 's commander-in-chief and Ashraf Hotaki . Despite nominally bringing Tahmasp to the seat of power , true authority still rested with Nader who had ever since the debacle in northern Khorasan managed to seize Tahmasp II as his vassal . As for Afghan rule , the Ghilzai Afghans were ejected from the Iranian Plateau permanently and in the following years were re-annexed by Nader whence they were once again absorbed into the Persian empire .

neg: Ibrahim Shah Suri Ibrahim Shah Suri was the fifth ruler of Sur dynasty , a Pashtun ( Afghan ) dynasty of late medieval northern India .

neg: Sufi Dynasty The Sufid dynasty was a Turkic dynasty that ruled in Khwarezm , in the Amu Darya river delta . Although the dynasty 's independence was short-lived ( c. 1361 -- 1379 ) , its later members continued to rule Khwarezm intermittently as governors of the Timurid Empire until the takeover of Khwarezm by the Shaybanid Uzbeks in 1505 . Unlike earlier dynasties that ruled from Khwarezm , the Sufids never used the title of Khwarezmshah .

neg: South Khorasan Province South Khorasan Province ( استان خراسان جنوبی Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Jonūbī ) is a province located in eastern Iran . Birjand is the centre of the province . The other major cities are Ferdows , Tabas and Qaen . In 2014 , it was placed in Region 5 .   This new province , is but the old Quhistan which was included into greater Khorasan in the Iranian administrative planning . However , historically Qohistan forms a separate entity , with a distinct culture , history , environment and ecology .   South Khorasan is one of the three provinces that were created after the division of Khorasan in 2004 . While at the beginning , the newly created `` South Khorasan '' included only Birjand County and some new counties detached from that county ( i.e. Nehbandan , Darmian and Sarbisheh ) , in subsequent years , all northern and western cities and territories of the old Quhistan ( such as Qaen , Ferdows and Tabas ) have been annexed into the South Khorasan .   South Khorasan Province consists of 11 counties : Birjand , Ferdows , Tabas , Qaen , Nehbandan , Darmian , Sarbisheh , Boshruyeh , Sarayan , Zirkouh and Khusf .

neg: Khost Province Khost is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan , located in the eastern part of the country next to Pakistan 's Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA ) . Khost province used to be part of Paktia province in the past . The city of Khost serves as the capital of Khost province . The population of the province is around 546,800 , which is mostly a tribal society . Khost Airport serves the province for domestic flights to Afghanistan 's capital , Kabul .

neg: Balkh Province Balkh ( Persian and Pashto : بلخ , Balx ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan , located in the north of the country . It is divided into 15 districts and has a population of about 1,245,100 , which is multi-ethnic and mostly a Persian-speaking society . The city of Mazar-i-Sharif serves as the capital of the province . The Mazar-e Sharif International Airport and Camp Marmal sit on the eastern edge of Mazar-i-Sharif .   The name of the province is derived from the ancient city of Balkh , near the modern town . Home to the famous blue mosque , it was once destroyed by Genghis Khan but later rebuilt by Timur . The city of Mazar-e-Sharif has been an important stop on the trade routes from the Far East to the Middle East , the Mediterranean and Europe .   The city of Balkh and the area of Balkh Province was considered a part of various historical regions in history including Ariana and Greater Khorasan .   It serves today as Afghanistan 's second but main gateway to Central Asia , the other being Shir Khan Bandar in neighboring Kunduz Province .

neg: History of Afghanistan The written history of Afghanistan , ( تاریخ افغانستان د افغانستان تاريخ can be traced back to around 500 BCE when the area was under the Achaemenid Empire , although evidence indicates that an advanced degree of urbanized culture has existed in the land since between 3000 and 2000 BCE . The Indus Valley Civilisation stretched up to large parts of Afghanistan in the north , with several sites being known . Alexander the Great and his Macedonian army arrived at what is now Afghanistan in 330 BCE after conquering Persia during the Battle of Gaugamela . Since then , many empires have established capitals inside Afghanistan , including the Greco-Bactrians , Mauryas , Kushans , Hindu Shahi , Saffarids , Samanids , Ghaznavids , Ghurids , Timurids , Mughals , Hotakis and Durranis .   Afghanistan ( meaning `` land of the Afghans '' ) has been a strategically important location throughout history . The land served as `` a gateway to India , impinging on the ancient Silk Road , which carried trade from the Mediterranean to China '' . Sitting on many trade and migration routes , Afghanistan may be called the ` Central Asian roundabout ' since routes converge from the Middle East , from the Indus Valley through the passes over the Hindu Kush , from the Far East via the Tarim Basin , and from the adjacent Eurasian Steppe .   The archaeological manifestation of the Indo-Iranians ( Aryans ) before their split into separate language groups is generally seen as the Andronovo culture to the north of present-day Afghanistan . The Iranian languages were developed by one branch of these people ; the Pashto language spoken today in Afghanistan is one of the Eastern Iranian languages . Elena E. Kuz ` mina argues that the tents of Iranian-speaking nomads of Afghanistan developed from the light surface houses of the Eurasian steppe belt in the Bronze Age .   The Arab invasions influenced the culture of Afghanistan , and its pre-Islamic period of Zoroastrian , Macedonian , Buddhist and Hindu past has long vanished . Turkic empire-builders such as the Ghaznavids and Timurids made the region now called Afghanistan of major importance .   Mirwais Hotak followed by Ahmad Shah Durrani unified Afghan tribes and founded the last Afghan Empire in the early 18th century CE . Afghanistan 's sovereignty has been held during the Anglo-Afghan Wars , the 1980s Soviet war , and the 2001-present war by the country 's many and diverse people : the Pashtuns , Tajiks , Hazaras , Uzbeks , Turkmen , Aimak , Baloch and others . The Pashtuns form the largest group , claiming to be descendants of ancient Israelites or Qais Abdur Rashid but scholars believe that they are a confederation of various peoples from the past who united under Pashtunwali .

neg: Dabuyid dynasty The Dabuyid or Gaubarid Dynasty was a Zoroastrian Iranian dynasty that started in the early seventh century as an independent group of rulers , reigning over Tabaristan and parts of western Khorasan . Dabuyid rule over Tabaristan and Khorasan lasted from ca . AD 642 to the Abbasid conquest in 760 .

neg: Sajid dynasty The Sajid dynasty , was an Islamic dynasty that ruled from 889-890 until 929 . Sajids ruled Azerbaijan and parts Armenia first from Maragha and Barda and then from Ardabil . The Sajids originated from the Central Asian province of Ushrusana and were of Iranian ( Sogdians )  descent . Muhammad ibn Abi ` l-Saj Diwdad the son of Diwdad , the first Sajid ruler of Azerbaijan , was appointed as its ruler in 889 or 890 . Muhammad 's father Abi ` l-Saj Devdad had fought under the Ushrusanan prince Afshin Khaydar during the latter 's final campaign against the rebel Babak Khorramdin in Azerbaijan , and later served the caliphs . Toward the end of the 9th century , as the central authority of the Abbasid Caliphate weakened , Muhammad was able to form a virtually independent state . Much of the Sajids ' energies were spent in attempting to take control of neighboring Armenia . The dynasty ended with the death of Abu ` l-Musafir al-Fath in 929 .

neg: Kharoti Kharoti ( Pashto : خروټی ) is a Pashtun tribe of Ghilji origin based in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan .  Many of the Kharoti have business in gulf countries and Pakistan . They have an estimated population of about 5.5 million , making it one of , if not the largest tribes in Afghanistan , Pakistan with significant territory throughout eastern and south-eastern Afghanistan . There are major Kharoti populations in the Paktika districts of Urgun , Barmal , Sar Hawza , Zarghun Shahr , Omna , Surobi and Gomal . The Kharoti also have a strong presence in balochistan , dera ismail khan and karachi and Ghazni , Zabul , Paktia , Khost , Logar , Wardak , Kabul , Nangarhar and Helmand .

neg: Punjab, Pakistan Punjab ( Urdu , Punjabi : , panj-āb , `` five waters '' : ) , is Pakistan 's second largest province by area after Balochistan , and its most populous province with an estimated population of 101,391,000 as of 2015 . It is bordered by Sindh , Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , as well as the regions of Islamabad Capital Territory and the Azad Kashmir . It also shares borders with the Indian states of Punjab , Rajasthan , and Jammu and Kashmir . The provincial capital of Punjab is the city Lahore , a cultural centre of Pakistan where the country 's cinema industry , and much of its fashion industry , are based .   Punjab has been inhabited since ancient times . The Indus Valley Civilization , dating to 2600 BCE , was first discovered at Harappa . Punjab features heavily in the Hindu epic poem , the Mahabharata , and is home to Taxila , site of what is considered by many to be the oldest university in the world . In 326 BCE , Alexander the Great defeated King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes near Mong , Punjab . The Umayyad empire conquered Punjab in the 8th century CE . Punjab was later invaded by Tamerlane , Babur , and Nader Shah . Punjab reached the height of its splendour during the reign of the Mughal Empire , which for a time ruled from Lahore . Following a successful rebellion , Sikh-led armies claimed Lahore in 1759 . The administration of the Sikh Empire was based out of Lahore , until its defeat by the British . Punjab was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan , with Lahore being site of both the Declaration of Indian Independence , and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan . The province was formed when the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious boundaries in 1947 by the Radcliffe Line after Partition .   Punjab is Pakistan 's most industrialised province with the industrial sector making up 24 % of the province 's gross domestic product . Punjab is known in Pakistan for its relative prosperity , and has the lowest rate of poverty amongst all Pakistani provinces . A clear divide is present between the northern and southern portions of the province ; with poverty rates in prosperous northern Punjab amongst the lowest in Pakistan , while some in south Punjab are amongst the most impoverished . Punjab is also one of South Asia 's most urbanized regions with approximately 40 % of people living in urban areas . Its human development index rankings are high relative to the rest of Pakistan .   Punjab is known in Pakistan for its relatively liberal social attitudes . The province has been strongly influenced by Sufism , with numerous Sufi shrines spread across Punjab which attract millions of devotees annually . The founder of the Sikh faith , Guru Nanak , was born in the Punjab town of Nankana Sahib near Lahore . Punjab is also the site of the Katasraj Temple , which features prominently in Hindu mythology . Several UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Punjab , including the Shalimar Gardens , the Lahore Fort , the archeological excavations at Taxila , and the Rohtas Fort .

neg: National Directorate of Security The National Directorate of Security ( NDS ) is the primary intelligence agency of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan .

neg: Habibullah Khan Habibullah Khan ( June 3 , 1872 -- February 20 , 1919 ) was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1901 until 1919 . He was born in Samarkand , Uzbekistan , the eldest son of the Emir Abdur Rahman Khan , whom he succeeded by right of primogeniture in October 1901 .   Habibullah was a relatively reform-minded ruler who attempted to modernize his country . During his reign he worked to bring modern medicine and other technology to Afghanistan . In 1903 , Habibullah founded the Habibia school as well as a military academy . He also worked to put in place progressive reforms in his country . He instituted various legal reforms and repealed many of the harshest criminal penalties . But one of his chief advisers Abdul Lateef was sentenced to death in 1903 for apostasy . He was stoned to death in Kabul . Other reforms included the dismantling of the repressive internal intelligence organization that had been put in place by his father .   He strictly maintained the country 's neutrality in World War I , despite strenuous efforts by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a German military mission ( Niedermayer -- Hentig Expedition ) to enlist Afghanistan on its side . He also greatly reduced tensions with British India , signing a treaty of friendship in 1905 and paying an official state visit in 1907 .   Habibullah was assassinated while on a hunting trip at Laghman Province on February 20 , 1919 . His brother Nasrullah Khan briefly succeeded him as Emir and held power for a week between February 21 and February 28 , 1919 , before being ousted and imprisoned by Amanullah Khan , Habibullah 's third son .

neg: Waheedullah Sabawoon Wahidullah Sabawoon is a citizen of Afghanistan who has held a variety of political and military offices .   According to the Asia Times he served as a leader under Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , the founder and leader of the Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin .  The report stated that he was arrested in late 2001 , when he  `` called a meeting of about 150 `` Islamic-minded '' commanders in Kabul to determine the role of Islamic forces in the post-Taliban period . ''  Hamid Karzai later appointed Sabawoon to his cabinet .

neg: Mughal–Safavid War (1649–53) The Mughal -- Safavid War of 1649 -- 1653 was fought between the Mughal and Safavid empires in the territory of modern Afghanistan . The war began after a Persian army , while the Mughals were at war with the Janid Uzbeks , captured the fortress city of Kandahar and other strategic cities that controlled the region . The Mughals attempted unsuccessfully to regain the city .


query: Portia de Rossi portrayed a character.

pos: Portia de Rossi Portia Lee James DeGeneres ( born Amanda Lee Rogers ; January 31 , 1973 ) , also known professionally as Portia de Rossi ( -LSB- ˈpɔərʃə_də_ˈrɒsi -RSB- ) , is an Australian and American actress , model , and philanthropist . She appeared as a regular cast member on the American political thriller television series Scandal in the role of Elizabeth North from 2014 to 2017 . She is also known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the American television series Ally McBeal -- for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 1999 -- and as Lindsay Fünke on the American television sitcom Arrested Development . She also portrayed Veronica Palmer on the ABC television sitcom Better Off Ted , and Olivia Lord on the television drama Nip/Tuck . De Rossi is married to comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres .

neg: Cinzia Massironi Cinzia Massironi ( born October 28 , 1966 in Legnano ) is an Italian voice actress and actress . She is a cousin of the actress Marina Massironi .   Massironi lent her voice to many Italian versions of cartoon or anime characters ( both female and male ) , such as Dan Kuso in Bakugan Battle Brawlers , Caska in Berserk , Daichi in Beyblade G-Revolution , Chun Lee in Beyblade : Metal Masters , Li Syaoran in Card Captor Sakura , Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya in Detective Conan , Comet in Princess Comet , Laura and Videl in Dragon Ball , Haku in Naruto , Clancy Kanuka in Patlabor : The TV Series , Lady Kale in Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders , and Jaden Yuki in the second season of Yu-Gi-Oh ! GX .   In the field of video games , Massironi has lent her voice to Catwoman and Talia al Ghul in Batman : Arkham City , Lana Lei in Death by Degrees , Emily in Dishonored , Lachesis in God of War II , Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 , Michelle Chiang in Jet Li : Rise to Honor , female version of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series , Wonder Woman and Kitana in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe , Luke and Flora in the series Professor Layton , Talwyn Apogee in Ratchet & Clank : Tools of Destruction , Ingrid Hunnigan in Resident Evil 6 , Lily in Vampire : The Masquerade - Redemption , and others .   Among the live-action film roles that Massironi dubbed in Italian are these of Rebecca De Mornay in The Shining and Alex Murrel in Laguna Beach : The Real Orange County . Massironi is also a theatrical actress , and participated in the film Ask Me If I 'm Happy ( Chiedimi se sono felice ) in the role of Francesca in 2000 and starred in the first part of the episodic film Il Cosmo sul comò in 2008 .

neg: Silvani Silvani is a surname of Italian origin . There are approximately 1516 people with the surname in Italy , the largest number in Emilia Romagna , in Bagno di Romagna , Sarsina , Bologna , and Pieve Santo Stefano , near Arezzo , Tuscany . A considerable number is found in Milan . There are approximately 300 Silvani in France , 350 in USA and 24 in the UK . The surname derives from SILVA , FOREST , and could have been used by the Romans to refer to their slaves that had Transylvanian origin ( Romania/Hungary )  The name refers to :  Al Silvani ( 1910 -- 1996 ) , American boxing trainer , actor , and stunt man  Aldo Silvani ( 1891 -- 1964 ) , Italian film actor  Gherardo Silvani ( 1579 -- 1675 ) , Florentine architect and sculptor of the Baroque era who built Villa di Uligliano also in Tuscany ,  Pier Francesco Silvani ( 1620 -- 1685 ) , Florentine architect of the Baroque era  Walter Silvani ( 11 May 1971 ) Argentinian Football Player   Fictional characters  Marco Silvani , character on Australian soap opera Neighbours   Signorina Silvani and accountant Ugo Fantozzi , a fictional character  Written by Paolo Villaggio for the Italian Television

neg: De Rossi De Rossi is an Italian surname , and may refer to :   Alessandra De Rossi , Philippine actress  Assunta De Rossi , Philippine actress  Azariah dei Rossi , an Italian-Jewish physician and scholar  Bernardo de Rossi , Italian theologian and historian  Bernardo de ' Rossi , Italian bishop  Daniele De Rossi , Italian footballer  Fabrizio De Rossi , a fictional character in the 1997 film Titanic  Giovan Antonio de ' Rossi , ( 1616 -- 1695 ) , Italian architect of the Baroque  Giovanni Battista de Rossi , 19th-century Italian archaeologist  Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi , 19th-century Italian Christian Hebraist  Mattia de Rossi , ( 1637 -- 1695 ) , Italian architect of the Baroque  Properzia de ' Rossi , Italian Renaissance sculptor  Portia de Rossi , Australian actress  Saint Giovanni Battista de Rossi , 18th-century Roman priest

neg: Roberto Devereux Roberto Devereux ( or Roberto Devereux , ossia Il conte di Essex -LSB- Robert Devereux , or the Earl of Essex -RSB- ) is a tragedia lirica , or tragic opera , by Gaetano Donizetti . Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after François Ancelot 's tragedy Elisabeth d'Angleterre ( 1829 ) , and based as well on the Historie secrete des amours d'Elisabeth et du comte d'Essex ( 1787 ) by Jacques Lescéne des Maisons , although Devereux was the subject of at least two other French plays : Le Comte d'Essex by Thomas Corneille and Le Comte d'Essex by Gauthier de Costes , seigneur de la Calprenède .   The opera is loosely based on the life of Robert Devereux , 2nd Earl of Essex , an influential member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England . The plot of Roberto Devereux was hardly original , mainly derived from Felice Romani 's libretto Il Conte d'Essex of 1833 , originally set by Saverio Mercadante . Romani 's widow charged Cammarano with plagiarism , although the practice of stealing plots was very common between rival Italian opera houses .   It is one of a number of operas by Donizetti which deal with the Tudor period in English history and include Anna Bolena ( named for Henry VIII 's second wife , Anne Boleyn ) , Maria Stuarda ( named for Mary , Queen of Scots ) and Il castello di Kenilworth . The lead female characters of the operas Anna Bolena , Maria Stuarda , and Elisabetta are often referred to as the `` Three Donizetti Queens . '' They earned some degree of fame in the 1970s , when the American soprano Beverly Sills promoted them as a series at New York City Opera .   It has been noted that , `` although the plot plays fast and loose with history , the opera carries its own brand of dramatic conviction '' .

neg: Caroline Unger Caroline Unger ( sometimes `` Ungher '' ; 28 October 1803 -- 23 March 1877 ) was an Austro-Hungarian contralto , alternatively known as Karoline , Carolina , and Carlotta .   Born in Vienna ( or , according to some sources , in Stuhlweißenburg , today Székesfehérvár ) she studied in Italy ; among her teachers were Aloysia Weber Lange and Domenico Ronconi . Her stage debut , in her native city , came in 1821 , when she performed in Mozart 's Così fan tutte , a performance for which Franz Schubert had briefly served as her répétiteur . Three years later she sang in the first performances of Ludwig van Beethoven 's Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis .   She performed a great deal in Italy , principally in Naples after 1825 when she became engaged to the impresario of the Teatro San Carlo , Domenico Barbaia . Among the roles written for her were those of Isoletta in Vincenzo Bellini 's La straniera ( 1829 , Milan ) , Gaetano Donizetti 's Parisina ( 1833 , Florence ) , Antonina in Belisario ( 1836 , Venice ) , Maria de Rudenz ( 1838 , Venice ) , and Bianca in Saverio Mercadante 's Le due illustre rivali ( 1838 , Venice ) .   Unger had a great success at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris in October 1833 , where Sadie speculates that this was the occasion upon which Rossini is known to have commented on her voice as having `` the ardour of the south , the energy of the north , brazen lungs , a silver voice and a golden talent '' .   In 1841 she married the French writer and retired from the stage in 1843 . She died in Florence and was buried in the cemetery of the basilica San Miniato al Monte there .   She is memorable for her part in the famous anecdote regarding the applause at the premiere of Beethoven 's Ninth Symphony -- it was reportedly she who turned the completely deaf composer around to receive his audience 's thunderous applause .

neg: Fabrizio De Rossi Re Fabrizio De Rossi Re ( born 1 August 1960 , in Rome ) is an Italian composer and librettist . He composes stage operas , symphonic , choral and chamber music , while also performing as a pianist .

neg: Laura San Giacomo Laura San Giacomo ( born November 14 , 1962 ) is an American actress known for playing the role of Maya Gallo on the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me ! , Kit De Luca in the film Pretty Woman , and Cynthia in Sex , Lies , and Videotape as well as other work on television and in films . She played the role of Holly Hunter 's childhood best friend on the TNT crime drama series Saving Grace .

neg: The Age of the Medici The Age of the Medici , originally released in Italy as L'età di Cosimo de Medici ( The Age of Cosimo de Medici ) , is a 1973 3-part TV series about the Renaissance in Florence , directed by Roberto Rossellini . The series was shot in English in the hope of securing a North American release , which it failed to achieve , and was later dubbed into Italian and shown on state television . The films are : Cosimo de Medici , The Power of Cosimo and Leon Battista Alberti : Humanism . It is Fred Ward 's debut role .   Like several other TV series directed by Rossellini during the 1970s , The Age of the Medici is a form of docudrama , in which historical information is communicated via dramatized conversations between figures from history , and between ordinary people . They are unabashedly `` teaching films . '' As Dave Kehr explains , `` The dialogue is bluntly didactic , with characters telling one another things they would already know entirely for the benefit of the audience ... . Rossellini is n't asking his viewers to identify with his characters or become caught up in their personal dramas ... Instead he creates a detached perspective . '' Each scene plays out in a single long take , with the camera slowly moving and zooming to create different framings of the action , or , as Kehr puts it , `` to close in on details or investigate relationships '' .   When the films debuted in New York 's Public Theater in 1973 , New York Times movie critic Vincent Canby noted that while not difficult , the austere style of the films , `` as well as Rossellini 's total lack of concern for what might be called performance , take some getting used to . Yet once you 've grasped the method and the rhythm of the films , they are a ravishingly beautiful experience '' :   The actors make few attempts to act . They recite as they walk about magnificent locations , sounding and looking like ferociously gifted dress-extras . The talk has been rather flatly dubbed into English so that it 's not always possible to tell who is speaking.Forget these problems , though . The film is about what is being said and what you can see around and behind these figures . When you connect with The Age of the Medici , it has the effect of reducing every other film you 've seen recently to the status of an ornament .

neg: Sciantosa In Italian theatrical culture , the term sciantosa ( pl. : `` sciantose '' ) refers to a stock character that developed from the late 19th Century through the early 20th Century in such popular genres such as café-concert , variety show , avanspettacolo , and revue . The term is a distortion of the French word chanteuse ( feminine form of `` singer '' ) , and was originally used for female singers that performed opera or operetta arias in café-chantant venues . As such , the `` sciantosa '' was a sort of scaled-down version of the opera `` diva '' . Later on , the term acquired further implications , most notably that of femme fatale . Popular sciantose often had ( or pretended to have ) mysterious and exotic traits , such as a foreign accent , a turbulent past , or romantic affairs with lovers from the jet set . To emphasize their reputation of divas , prominent sciantose hired a claque to follow their shows .   Some of the most well known sciantose were Anna Fougez , Gilda Mignonette , Olimpia D'Avigny , and Yvonne De Fleuriel .   With the advent of cinema and television , many forms of popular theatrical shows faded , and so did the `` sciantosa '' archetype , whose traits were partially transferred to new roles such as the soubrette or the showgirl .   The 1971 film La Sciantosa , by director Alfredo Giannetti , portrays a typical sciantosa ( played by Anna Magnani ) .

neg: Valorie Armstrong Valorie Armstrong ( also credited as Valerie Armstrong ) is an American actress most notably recognized from her role as family matriarch Marisa Perkins on NBC 's soap opera Santa Barbara during 1984 -- 1985 . Her other roles include various guest-starring roles on TV shows . Prior to her role as Marisa Perkins , she had appeared on One Life to Live as Minna , a former prostitute pal of Katrina Karr 's and Karen Wolek 's ( 1981 -- 1983 ) . She also had a featured role as Alice McRaven , the best friend of Sandy Duncan 's character Sandy Stockton on Funny Face , in the 1970s . In 1990 , the two worked together again when Ms. Armstrong had a guest role as Mrs. Gordon , in an episode of Miss Duncan 's later series , The Hogan Family .

neg: Storia di Anna Storia di Anna ( translated : `` Story of Anna '' ) is a 1981 Italian drama television miniseries directed by Salvatore Nocita and starring Laura Lattuada . It is the first Italian series to have drug dependence as main theme . It is based on an early script by Renato Castellani .

neg: Alice Ventura Alice Ventura is a fictional character , one of the antagonists of the Brazilian soap opera Força de um Desejo ( 1999 ) , by Gilberto Braga , Alcides Nogueira and Marques . She is considered one of the greatest villains of Brazilian soap operas , and was played by actress Lavínia Vlasak .

neg: La donna del lago La donna del lago ( The Lady of the Lake ) is an opera composed by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola ( whose verses are described as `` limpid '' by one critic ) based on the French translation of The Lady of the Lake , a narrative poem written in 1810 by Sir Walter Scott , whose work continued to popularize the image of the romantic highlands . Scott 's basic story has been noted as coming from `` the hint of an incident stemming from the frequent custom of James V , the King of Scotland , of walking through the kingdom in disguise '' .   It was the first of the Italian operas to be based on Scott 's romantic works , and marked the beginning of romanticism in Rossini 's work . It was `` deeply influential in the development of Italian romantic opera '' to the extent that by 1840 ( barely 20 years after this opera ) , there were 25 Italian operas based on his works , the most famous being Donizetti 's Lucia di Lammermoor of 1835 . Others in German , French and English followed .   Written for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples , this was the seventh of nine operas which Rossini wrote for that house between 1815 and 1822 . Although the première on 24 September 1819 was not a success , there followed many performances throughout major European venues ( as well as being presented in Cuba and by major South American houses ) until about 1860 , after which the opera disappeared until 1958 . In modern times , performances have been given fairly frequently .

neg: Roberto de' Rossi Roberto de ' Rossi was an early humanist in Florence , a follower of Coluccio Salutati and , as the first pupil of Manuel Chrysoloras , one of the first Florentines to read Greek . Roberto de ' Rossi was a wealthy patrician who never married and avoided public office but devoted his life to books and his studies in his house and garden in the Oltr ` Arno district of Florence . His translations of Aristotle and other classical Greek writers made them widely available to the Latin-reading public , but his modern claim to fame is as the tutor of Cosimo de ' Medici , a role for which he was selected by Giovanni di Bicci . Roberto 's friends Leonardo Bruni and Niccolo Niccoli were inherited by Cosimo and formed part of his circle .

neg: Drea de Matteo Drea de Matteo ( -LSB- dreɪ_də_məˈteɪoʊ -RSB- born January 19 , 1972 ) is an American actress , known for her roles as Angie Bolen on ABC 's Desperate Housewives , Joey Tribbiani 's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey , Wendy Case on FX series Sons of Anarchy , and Adriana La Cerva on the HBO TV series The Sopranos , a role for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series . She currently stars as Det. Tess Nazario in NBC 's Shades of Blue .

neg: Rebecca de Pont Davies Rebecca de Pont Davies is a British mezzo-soprano who has performed with English National Opera and Welsh National Opera , and at the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden , among others .   Davies was born and educated in Blackheath , and is the sister of the screenwriter William Davies and the television producer Michael Davies . She has been diagnosed with Graves ' disease . Davies went straight from school to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she completed the four year Associate of the Guildhall School of Music ( AGSM ) course and the two year Opera Course for which she was awarded a full scholarship before becoming a Company Artist for English National Opera . Here her roles included Ottavia in The Coronation of Poppea , Ulrica in A Masked Ball , Mistress Quickly in Falstaff , Annina in Der Rosenkavalier , Theatre Dresser/Schoolboy/Groom / Girl 's Mother in Lulu , Mrs Sedley and Auntie in Peter Grimes , Bronka in The Passenger , Marya in War and Peace and Ruth in the Mike Leigh production of The Pirates of Penzance .   Davies 's roles in other productions include Marchioness in La fille du régiment for Teatro Real in Madrid , Auntie in Peter Grimes for Deutsche Oper Berlin , Prakriti 's mother in the premiere of Wagner Dream for Dutch National Opera and later for Welsh National Opera ; Second Maid in Elektra for Dutch National Opera ; Witch in Hänsel und Gretel ; Herodias in Salome in Bielefeld ; Mrs Sedley in Peter Grimes for Deutsche Oper am Rhein and the Liceu in Barcelona ; Geneviève in Pelléas et Mélisande in Essen ; Jack 's Mother in Into the Woods ; Beroe in The Bassarids , Old Lady in Sunday in the Park with George , and Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street for Théâtre du Châtelet ; Mrs Sedley in Peter Grimes , Maddalena in Rigoletto and Klytämnestra in Elektra for Opera North ; French Mother in Death in Venice for the Glyndebourne Festival Opera ( filmed by the BBC ) ; Katisha in The Mikado in a co-production between Scottish Opera and the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Theatre Royal , Glasgow ; Kabanicha in Káťa Kabanová for Teatro Regio in Turin and Auntie in Peter Grimes for Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon .   Davies made her Royal Opera House début as Old Sister 2 in Babette 's Feast in the Linbury Studio Theatre , and for them has also sung Schwertleite in Die Walküre , Second Esquire in Parsifal , Aunt Kaye in the world premiere of Anna Nicole and Hostess of the Inn in Boris Godunov .   Davies 's performances in concert include Judith Weir 's The Consolations of Scholarship with the Lontano Ensemble , Manuel de Falla 's El amor brujo and Siete canciones populares españolas with the Symphony Nova Scotia and performances with the BBC Proms , London Sinfonietta , the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra . Her recordings include Falstaff with English National Opera and String , Paper , Wood by Ronald Corp. .   Davies is married to the singer and writer Jessica Walker .

neg: Portia White Portia White ( June 24 , 1911February 13 , 1968 ) was a Canadian operatic contralto .

neg: Gilda dalla Rizza Gilda Dalla Rizza ( 12 October 18925 July 1975 ) was an important Italian soprano .   Born in Verona , she made her operatic debut in Bologna ( the Teatro Verdi ) in 1912 , as Charlotte in Werther . Especially acclaimed in the verismo repertory , she was regarded as being Giacomo Puccini 's favorite soprano , creating Magda in his La rondine ( 1917 ) . Although he composed the part of Minnie in La fanciulla del West for another soprano , when Puccini saw Dalla Rizza in the part , he said , `` Behold , at last I have seen my Fanciulla '' . She also gave the first European performances of his Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi , at Rome in 1919 . He also had her in mind for Liù in Turandot , though her voice proved too heavy for the part of the young slave-girl by the time of the premiere .   Dalla Rizza appeared at the major theatres in Rome , Florence , Turin , São Paulo , Buenos Aires ( Teatro Colón ) , Rio de Janeiro , Verona , Naples , Monte-Carlo , Bologna , Lima , Parma , Santiago , Barcelona , Amsterdam , etc. . She never appeared in the United States .

neg: Mezzetino Mezzetino , also Mezzettino , ( Pron . met-zeh-TEE-no ) is a character from the commedia dell ` arte and is considered by Duchartre to be a variant on the stock character Brighella . His name means `` Half-Measure ( of liquor ) '' in Medieval Italian , and he is sometimes called in French and English plays `` Mezzetin '' . He first appeared in the 16th century .   Mezzetino is an adept schemer and trouble-maker , willing to commit acts of violence if necessary , but on the whole a little calmer than his brother Brighella , and much more gentle and cultivated , especially in his later life . He is often very musically inclined , and can sing and dance with skill . His character can vary greatly : he can be a loyal servant or simply scheming for his master 's downfall ; he can be a deceitful husband or be deceived by his wife . He also seems to be rather more interested in the ladies than is Brighella , often coming over as rather creepy in his efforts to flirt .   His costume has gone through similar variations to Brighella 's , beginning as a baggy white costume like that worn by the zanni but later evolving into a livery or else a tunic and breeches , usually with stripes , and some sort of hat as an accessory . Whereas Brighella 's color is green , Mezzetino 's is red or burgundy . He is sometimes played without a mask , especially in later versions , after the manner in which Angelo Costantini played him ; but when masked it is either brown or rust colored . Callot shows him holding a sword as part of the ensemble . He is also sometimes dressed in a manner that closely resembles the habit of Harlequin , as in the famous Nymphenburg porcelain , hence some people 's belief that he is a variant not on Brighella but on Harlequin . He almost always wears a short cape , called a tabaro , which has its origins in the plays of Ancient Rome .

neg: Portia (The Merchant of Venice) Portia is the heroine of William Shakespeare 's The Merchant of Venice . A rich , beautiful , and intelligent heiress , she is bound by the lottery set forth in her father 's will , which gives potential suitors the chance to choose between three caskets composed of gold , silver and lead . If they choose the right casket -- the casket containing Portia 's portrait and a scroll -- they win Portia 's hand in marriage . If they choose the wrong casket , they must leave and never seek another woman in marriage . Portia is glad when two suitors , one driven by greed and another by vanity , fail to choose correctly . She favours Bassanio , a young Venetian noble , but is not allowed to give him any clues to assist in his choice . Later in the play , she disguises herself as a man , then assumes the role of a lawyer 's apprentice ( named Balthazar ) whereby she saves the life of Bassanio 's friend , Antonio , in court .   Portia is one of the most prominent and appealing of the heroines in Shakespeare 's mature romantic comedies . She is beautiful , gracious , rich , intelligent , and quick-witted , with high standards for her potential romantic partners . She obeys her father 's will , while steadfastly seeking to obtain Bassanio . She demonstrates tact to the Princes of Morocco and Aragon , who unsuccessfully seek her hand . In the court scenes , Portia finds a technicality in the bond , thereby outwitting Shylock and saving Antonio 's life when everyone else fails . It is Portia who delivers one of the most famous speeches in The Merchant of Venice :   The strength of the role of Portia has made it attractive to many notable actresses . Frances Abington , Sarah Siddons and Elizabeth Whitlock all played Portia in the 18th century when actresses first started appearing on stage in performances of the play . More recently , the role has been depicted in the cinema and on television by a number of notable actresses such as Maggie Smith , Claire Bloom , Sybil Thorndike , Joan Plowright , Caroline John and Gemma Jones .   Despite Portia 's lack of formal legal training , she wins her case by referring to the details of the exact language of the law . Her success involves prevailing on technicalities rather than the merits of the situation . She uses the tactics of what is sometimes called a Philadelphia lawyer . However , the concept of rhetoric and its abuse is also brought to light by Portia -- highlighting the idea that an unjust argument may win through eloquence , loopholes and technicalities , regardless of the moral question at hand -- and thus provoking the audience to consider that issue .


query: Kingdom Hearts III is published by Harmonix.

pos: Kingdom Hearts III Kingdom Hearts III is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . It is the twelfth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series , sequel to Kingdom Hearts II , and the final chapter in the Dark Seeker saga . Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D : Dream Drop Distance , returning protagonist Sora is joined by Donald Duck , Goofy , King Mickey and Riku in their search for the seven guardians of light and the `` Key to Return Hearts '' as they attempt to thwart Master Xehanort 's plan to bring about a second Keyblade War . Their journey has them cross paths with characters , and visit worlds , based on Disney properties and Final Fantasy .   Concepts for the game began as early as 2006 , after the release of Kingdom Hearts II : Final Mix in Japan , with the game not officially confirmed to be in development until E3 2013 , after years of rumors and speculation . Kingdom Hearts III sees many returning gameplay features from the series , while introducing new `` Attraction Flow '' attacks that incorporate Disney Parks attractions . The game also is the first in the series to utilize Unreal Engine 4 .

neg: Gutsoon! Entertainment Gutsoon ! Entertainment , Inc. is a now defunct publisher of English translated manga . The company , headquartered in Encino , Los Angeles , served as the US subsidiary of Coamix , which was founded by Nobuhiko Horie and manga artist Tsukasa Hojo . The company published the English manga anthology Raijin Comics , a U.S. equivalent to the Japanese Weekly Comic Bunch and published many of the same titles ( Fist of the Blue Sky and City Hunter ) , as well titles from other magazines such as the Japanese Weekly Shōnen Jump . Raijin Comics began as a weekly magazine with its first issue ( dated December 18 , 2002 ) , but switched to being a monthly publication beginning with its 36th issue ( dated September 2003 ) . Gutsoon ! also published a companion magazine to Raijin Comics , titled Raijin Game & Anime ( originally called Fujin Magazine ) , which lasted only 20 issues before being merged into the pages of Raijin Comics . The collected volumes of Raijin Comics titles were published under the Raijin Graphic Novels imprint . Raijin Comics also has a mascot called `` Raijin Maru '' . Before the company 's fall they were also planning to make a shōjo manga magazine called Smile Magazine .   On March 15 , 2004 , Gutsoon ! announced that they will be placing their Rajin Comics brand on hiatus . Raijin Comics ceased publication with its July 2004 issue ( issue # 46 ) and the Raijin Graphic Novels line was subsequently cancelled as well .

neg: Silicon Studio Silicon Studio is a Japanese computer graphics technology company and video game developer based in Tokyo . As a technology company , Silicon Studio has produced several products in the 3D computer graphics field , including middleware software , such as a post-processing visual effects library called YEBIS , as well as general real-time graphics engines and game development engines , such as OROCHI and Mizuchi , a physically based rendering engine . As a video game developer , Silicon Studio has worked on different titles for several gaming platforms , most notably , the action-adventure game 3D Dot Game Heroes on the PlayStation 3 , the role-playing video game Bravely Default on the Nintendo 3DS , and Fantasica on the iOS and Android mobile platforms .

neg: Altron is a Japanese video game developer and publisher located in Shinagawa , Tokyo , Japan operating since 1983 . It has developed or published games for the Nintendo 64 , PlayStation , Sega Saturn , Super NES , Genesis , Nintendo Entertainment System , Nintendo DS , Game Boy , Game Boy Color , and Nintendo 3DS video game systems .

neg: King's Quest V King 's Quest V : Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder ! is a 1990 graphic adventure game by Sierra On-Line . Originally released in November 1990 , it featured a significant improvement in graphics ( achieved through the introduction of VGA into the series ) . It was also the first King 's Quest installment to replace the typing user interface with a point-and-click user interface . The title is a spoof on the proverb , `` Absence makes the heart grow fonder . ''   King 's Quest V sold over half million copies and won several awards . It was later released as a fully voiced `` talkie '' CD-ROM , done by members of the Sierra staff .

neg: Dance Central (video game) Dance Central is a music rhythm game for the Xbox 360 that uses the Kinect motion peripheral . The game was developed by Harmonix , creators of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises , and is a launch title for Kinect . Dance Central 2 was announced at E3 2011 and later released in October 2011 . Dance Central 3 was announced at E3 2012 and was released in October 2012 .

neg: List of Square Enix video game franchises Square Enix is a Japanese video game development and publishing company formed from the merger of video game developer Square and publisher Enix on April 1 , 2003 . The company is best known for its role-playing video game franchises , which include the Final Fantasy series , the Dragon Quest series , and the action role-playing Kingdom Hearts series . Since its inception , the company has developed or published hundreds of titles in various video game franchises on numerous gaming systems . Of its properties , the Final Fantasy franchise is the best-selling , with a total worldwide sales of over 110 million units . The Dragon Quest series has shipped over 66 million units worldwide and is one of the most popular video game series in Japan , while the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped over 22 million copies worldwide .   Square Enix has owned Taito , which continues to publish its own video games , since September 2005 , and acquired game publisher Eidos Interactive in April 2009 , which was merged with Square Enix 's European publishing wing and renamed as Square Enix Europe . This list includes franchises in which Square Enix , or its original components Square and Enix , or its subsidiaries , were the primary developer or publisher , even if the series was begun prior to the subsidiary 's acquisition . Franchises are defined as any set of interconnected media consisting of more than one release , and video game franchises are defined as franchises which were initially created as a video game or series of video games .   For a list of all individual games developed or published by Square Enix , see the list of Square Enix video games and mobile games . For games released before the merger , see the Square and Enix video games . For games released by Taito , both before and after the acquisition , see the list of Taito games , and for games published by Eidos prior to acquisition see the list of Eidos games .

neg: Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom , and a bigger media franchise based on it , including three anime series and an animated film . Its story is very loosely based on real events of the titular Sengoku era in the history of feudal Japan .

neg: Shenmue III is an upcoming action-adventure role-playing video game developed by Neilo and Ys Net , scheduled for release in December 2017 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 . It is directed , written and produced by Yu Suzuki . Shenmue III follows teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki in his quest to find his father 's killer in 1980s China .   Suzuki conceived Shenmue as a saga spanning multiple games . The first two games were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001 respectively . The original Shenmue was the most expensive video game ever developed at the time , with an estimated production and marketing cost of over $ 47 million USD , though this also covered some of Shenmue II and groundwork for future Shenmue games . Despite attracting a cult following and appearances in several `` greatest video games of all time '' lists , the games were commercial failures and Shenmue III spent over a decade in development hell .   At the June 2015 E3 conference , following years of speculation , Suzuki launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund Shenmue III , with Sega having licensed Shenmue to Suzuki 's company Ys Net . The campaign met its initial target of $ 2 million USD in under eight hours , making it the fastest Kickstarter campaign to reach that amount . It ended in July 2015 having raised over $ 6 million , making it the highest-funded video game and the sixth highest-funded campaign in Kickstarter history . Crowdfunding resumed via the online payment system PayPal and the Chinese crowdfunding platform Alipay .

neg: Megadimension Neptunia VII is a Japanese role-playing game in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series of role-playing games , for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows . It was released in Japan on April 23 , 2015 , North American territories on February 2 , 2016 , European territories on February 12 , 2016 and the Windows version was released on July 5 , 2016 .

neg: Conspiracy Entertainment Conspiracy Entertainment ( formerly Conspiracy Games ) is an American third-party developer video game publisher , publishing games from smaller companies that would face difficulties distributing games themselves . The company has also developed a few games of its own .   Conspiracy Entertainment is currently publishing UMD videos for the PlayStation Portable and games for the Wii console .

neg: List of Tales media The Tales series , known in Japan as the , is a franchise of fantasy Japanese role-playing video games published by Bandai Namco Games ( formerly Namco ) , and developed by its subsidiary , Namco Tales Studio ( formerly Wolf Team ) until 2011 and presently by Bandai Namco . First begun in 1995 with the development and release of Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom , the series currently spans fifteen main titles , multiple spin-off games and supplementary media in the form of manga series , anime series , and audio dramas .   While entries in the series generally stand independent of each other with different characters and stories , they are commonly linked by their gameplay , themes and high fantasy settings . Most of the main Tales games have been localized for North America and Europe , although almost all of the spinoff titles have not been released abroad . While generally seen as a niche series in English speaking regions , Tales is considered a high-profile property in Japan , just behind other series such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest . As of December 2013 , the series has sold 16 million units worldwide .

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix is an HD remastered collection of three games in Square Enix 's Kingdom Hearts series : Kingdom Hearts II , Birth by Sleep , and Re : coded . A successor to the series ' HD 1.5 Remix collection , it was released as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan on October 2014 and internationally two months later .   Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix includes Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix in high definition and with trophy support . Additionally , the collection features a cinematic remake of Kingdom Hearts Re : coded that features remastered cutscenes from the original game as well as new content . A third collection , Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue , was released in 2017 . 2.5 Remix was re-released along with 1.5 Remix on the PlayStation 4 in March 2017 .

neg: Club Penguin (video game console series) The Club Penguin video game series is a series of party games for the Wii and Nintendo DS based on Disney 's popular massively multiplayer online game , Club Penguin . They are published by Disney Interactive Studios .

neg: Heroes of Might and Magic III Heroes of Might and Magic III : The Restoration of Erathia is a turn-based strategy game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing originally released for Microsoft Windows by the 3DO Company in 1999 . Its ports to several computer and console systems followed in 1999-2000 . It is the third installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series . The game 's story is first referenced throughout Might and Magic VI : The Mandate of Heaven and serves as a prequel to Might and Magic VII : For Blood and Honor . The player can choose to play through seven different campaigns telling the story , or play in a scenario against computer or human opponents .   The gameplay is very similar to its predecessors in that the player controls a number of heroes that command an army of creatures inspired by myth and legend . The gameplay is divided into two parts , tactical overland exploration and a turn based combat system . The player creates an army by spending resources at one of the eight town types in the game . The hero will progress in experience by engaging in combat with enemy heroes and monsters . The conditions for victory vary depending on the map , including conquest of all enemies and towns , collection of a certain amount of a resource , or finding the grail artifact .   Heroes III was released to universal acclaim and was praised by critics . The game received the expansion packs Heroes of Might and Magic III : Armageddon 's Blade and Heroes of Might and Magic III : The Shadow of Death . Heroes Chronicles , a series of short introductory games based on the Heroes III engine , was also released . A special version of Heroes III titled Heroes III Complete , which included the original game and both expansion packs , was released in 2000 . On December 10 , 2014 , Ubisoft announced an HD version of the game . The new version features updated graphics as well as wide screen compatibility and was released on January 29 , 2015 for Microsoft Windows , iOS and Android . However , the expansions have not been re-released because their source code is lost .

neg: Nintendo Nintendo Co. , Ltd. is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics and video game company headquartered in Kyoto , Japan . Nintendo is one of the world 's largest video game companies by market capitalization . Founded on 23 September 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi , it originally produced handmade hanafuda playing cards . By 1963 , the company had tried several small niche businesses , such as cab services and love hotels . The word Nintendo can be roughly translated from Japanese to English as `` leave luck to heaven '' .   Abandoning previous ventures in favor of toys in the 1960s , Nintendo then developed into a video game company in the 1970s , ultimately becoming one of the most influential in the industry and Japan 's third most-valuable company with a market value of over $ 85 billion . From 1992 until 2016 , Nintendo was also the majority shareholder of Major League Baseball 's Seattle Mariners .   , Nintendo has cumulative sales of over 670.43 million hardware units and 4.23 billion software units . The company has created and released some of the best-known and top-selling video game franchises , such as Mario , The Legend of Zelda , and Pokémon .

neg: Dokapon Kingdom is a role-playing video game developed and published by Sting in Japan for the Sony PlayStation 2 on November 22 , 2007 . It was later published by Atlus in North America on October 14 , 2008 . It is a remake of the Super Famicom title , Dokapon 3 ・ 2 ・ 1 - Arashi o Yobu Yuujou . The PlayStation 2 version was later re-released in Japan on November 20 , 2008 , with a `` Sting The Best '' stamp on it . It was later ported to the Wii by Sting Entertainment on July 31 , 2008 , as Dokapon Kingdom for Wii . The Wii version was later published in North America by Atlus on October 14 , 2008 , and in Europe by BigBen Interactive on March 26 , 2010 , both without `` for Wii '' in the names .

neg: List of Final Fantasy media Final Fantasy is a series of role-playing video games developed and published by Square Enix ( formerly Square ) . Its first game premiered in Japan in 1987 , and Final Fantasy games have subsequently been localized for markets in North America , Europe and Australia , on nearly every video game console since its debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System . Final Fantasy is Square Enix 's most successful franchise , having sold over 97 million units worldwide to date . In addition to traditional role-playing games , the series includes tactical role-playing games , portable games , massively multiplayer online role-playing games , and games for mobile phones . Its popularity has placed it as the sixth-best-selling video game franchise , and the series has won multiple awards over the years .   In addition to the 15 games released as part of the main ( numbered ) series and their many spin-offs and related titles , the Final Fantasy series has spawned many works in other media including anime , movies , novels and manga , and radio dramas . Final Fantasy : Unlimited , originally a stand-alone anime series , now has its own sub-franchise which includes video games . Many games , particularly the main series , have soundtrack album releases featuring their music in different arrangements . Square Enix has also consistently released companion books for its games which provide additional backstory and plot information , as well as detailed walkthroughs for the game . Since the announcement of Compilation of Final Fantasy VII , Square Enix has focused on `` polymorphic content '' , expanding each game world with material on many video game platforms , as well as other forms of media .

neg: Aqua (Kingdom Hearts) , also known as , is a fictional character from Square Enix 's video game franchise Kingdom Hearts . Having first made cameo appearances in Kingdom Hearts II and its updated version Final Mix , Aqua is one of the three protagonists who is introduced in the 2010 prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep . She is one of the Keyblade apprentices training under Master Eraqus alongside her friends Terra and Ventus . As Eraqus ' friend Master Xehanort leaves , Aqua and Terra are assigned to find him and defeat creatures known as the Unversed . She also appeared in other Kingdom Hearts titles , most notably Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue .   Unlike Terra and Ventus , Aqua is the only protagonist who did not have a point of reference for Tetsuya Nomura to design from , and thus was designed from scratch . Later in the design process , Nomura became concerned that Aqua would not be popular , and this drove his decision to make her very distinct in her personal bravery and combat abilities . While her outfit design was based on Terra 's , her movements were chosen to distinguish her from other characters by having her specialize in magical combat . Aqua is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese and Willa Holland in English .   Aqua received mixed reviews from game critics , citing boring plot lines and unenthusiastic voice acting combined with weak combat skills . With fans , Aqua was well received , and is one of Kingdom Hearts most popular characters . Nevertheless , her return in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue has received positive response by critics .

neg: Hyper Void Hyper Void is a 3D shooter video game , developed and published by InFramez Technology . It was released for PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . A version for Microsoft Windows is in development .

neg: Little King's Story is a real-time strategy life simulation role-playing video game co-developed by Cing and Town Factory for the Wii . The game was published by Rising Star Games in Australia on April 22 , 2009 and Europe on April 24 , 2009 , by Xseed Games in North America on July 21 , 2009 , and by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on September 3 , 2009 .   The player character is a timid boy who has found a mysterious crown which gives him the power to charm people and make them follow orders . As king of the village his goal is to expand the village and make his subjects happy . The design of the game combines various simulation elements as well as real time and adventure elements . Yasuhiro Wada told CVG that the game would be a `` single-player life-sim set in Europe . '' An enhanced re-imagining of the game was released on the PlayStation Vita under the title of New Little King 's Story . The Microsoft Windows version of the game has been released on August 5 , 2016 . The game is published by North American version of the game publisher Xseed Games .