Adobe are retiring support for their Flash Player by the end of this year and Facebook are following suit by ending support for Flash games on their platform. Zynga say that FarmVille will of course be directly impacted. They’ll be shutting down the farming browser game on December 31st, 2020. “We’re aware that many of you have been with us since the very beginning, helping to build an incredible global community of players over the years who’ve enjoyed this game just as much as we have,” Zynga say. “We are also working on fun in-game activities to be announced soon that are designed to make your remaining time with FarmVille even more enjoyable.” Whatever your memories of FarmVille may be—getting constant Facebook notifications from your aunt Kathy or sending gifts to your highschool crush—it was a monolith of a now-ending era. When FarmVille launched in 2009, I remember more people in my life were starting to play games thanks to Facebook and the rise of smart phones. These days it’s a given that your mom’s played several different King games after getting a taste of Candy Crush. A decade ago, it felt like a new phenomenon as games like FarmVille got into the hands of folks who never before understood why I spent so much time playing Guild Wars. So hey, thanks for that, FarmVille. If you still happen to be an avid FarmViller, well don’t be too sad. It’s only the original that’s coming to an end. Zynga say that other FarmVille games will continue to operate if you’d like to make the jump. FarmVille may not exactly be one of the best Flash games, but many of those are being preserved despite Flash Player’s impending end. The Flashpoint launcher is just one such project aiming to host thousands of favorites dating back even before the days of FarmVille. The Flash Game Archive, Ruffle, and Internet Archive are all pursuing preservation projects as well.
