‘Farmville’ Is Officially Shutting Down

The original FarmVille game is finally shutting down at the end of the year when Adobe stops distributing the Flash Player the game uses for its web browser versions, Zynga announced on Monday. The game will no longer be available on Facebook on Dec. 31, and in-app purchases will be available until Nov. 17, when developers will shut down the payment system. FarmVille lovers can still play other editions of the game, though, as FarmVille 2 is available for iOS and Android devices, and FarmVille 3 will be released soon for both platforms. The news brought back fond memories for many who recalled a simpler time on Facebook.

“Following an incredible 11 years since its initial launch back in 2009, we are officially announcing the closure of the original FarmVille game on Facebook,” Zynga shared in a statement on Monday. “As previously stated, Adobe will stop distributing and updating Flash Player for all web browsers, and Facebook will stop supporting Flash games on the platform completely after December 31st, 2020. FarmVille will therefore, be directly affected as a result of this.” The company thanked its fans for supporting the product since its inception.

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After Nov. 17, the game will no longer accept in-app purchases and any refunds will not be processed until then, Zynga said. Players are advised to make sure any remaining credits are used before Dec. 31. In the meantime, Zynga teased special “in-game activities to be announced soon that are designed to make your remaining time with FarmVille even more enjoyable.”

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FarmVille launched in 2009, ushering a surprising period in social media and gaming when people became obsessed with harvesting crops. It was an instant success, with over 10 million daily users within two months of its release, reports The Verge. At the peak of its popularity, about 30 million people were playing the game. The craze peaked when Zynga made its initial public offering at $7 billion in December 2011, but the game’s popularity and the popularity of other social games quickly declined.

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Zynga tried to recreate the original’s success with sequels and other “-Ville” games, including CityVille, CastleVille, and FishVille. However, none of them captured a foothold in the cultural zeitgeist like the original. The company refused to release numbers on its current player base, reports Polygon. In 2013, the company said it still had 40 million monthly active players using FarmVille 2.

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