April 22, 2010. With a mixture of nervousness and excitement we flipped the switch and went live with Pot Farm on Facebook. Of course we were shooting for a date of 4/20 but hey, the game worked… kinda. We NEVER expected a million players in the first couple of days and learned to never underestimate the passion of stoners. We had no idea at the time but we were blazing a trail and some of you have been with us from the start, blazing right beside us for the last nine years.
With so many players trying to jump in and start playing, we broke Facebook and we did it without a single marketing campaign. That’s you. That happened because all of you took it old school and spread the gospel of Pot Farm by word of mouth: Classic grass roots style!
We started with a handful of Devs that looked and felt like characters in the game — with all of us crammed into a single room, no idea was considered too weird and we would just shout out suggestions. It wasn’t uncommon to hear something like “how about a pitbull with 3 legs and an eye patch?!” aaaand boom! It’s in the game. It was an unusual way to pitch ideas but it worked and resulted in so many different themes that were awesome. Remember Dark Carnival?? That shit was crazy!
Of course it wasn’t just random shouting in a small room. We ran polls to see what content all of you wanted to see, and when you spoke, we listened. Players are still talking about that Conspiracy-themed Event from 2011. That same year we were featured by the gaming review gods at Kotaku and better yet…they loved us and you read all about it right here: http://bit.ly/PFL_KTKU
Speaking of memorable moments, Pot Farm has racked up so many over the years. In 2012 we made the news for a CBS affiliate in Alabama, where an actual real life Chief of Police was interviewed about the “dangers” of digital dope. We could talk about it, but you should really see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5xb9zd4zcw
The hits just kept on coming when the Sultan of Smoke, Kevin Smith, did a Pot Farm shout out to his legion of listeners on SModco Internet Radio. It was supposed to be a 30 second shout out but that man talked about us for over 2 minutes! You can listen to the microphone magic here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIO6gWH4wg8
In 2014 we were featured on the front page of High Times! Talk about a bucket list moment for a weed-based game: http://bit.ly/PFL_HT
A year later we made the cut for one of Leafly’s pot-themed periodic tables. Seriously. How cool is that??
9 years of craziness and a community that is the stuff of dreams. We know the claim may sound a bit cheesy but none of this… and we mean none of this would have been possible without all of you. From theme and event ideas, to costumes, prizes, and even strategies. And the community thrived on the relationships the players had with us, and with each other.
We shared moments like rallying around JJ when he battled cancer, along with many other farmers who were down on their luck in some way. Pot Farm was a place to find support and distract from the hard times, and revel in the good times with those who were like family. We told the story of Frank the Mouse, our office pest-turned-mascot, and our fans followed us as we shared the trials and tribulations of running a game studio. We received incredible gifts, like the stained glass art created by Bill: Check out this bacon-infused work of art!
or the Don’t forget the thousands of GIFs and memes people created over the years! Players like Kimberly and Robert shared their knowledge with other players, and gave the community a voice to connect us to the people who play our game every day. And we can’t forget about Guru Steve, a fan who created his own wiki-style site that is the place to go if you want info for all things Pot Farm. Do yourself a favour and check it out! https://potfarm.info/
So many players with an unmatched level of passion, too numerous to mention, took an idea we had for a silly little game, and turned it into a lifestyle. Community doesn’t get much better than that.
This isn’t a goodbye forever though, its a thank you. You have worked with us to create a Universe, and we know the good folks at LDRLY are planning some cool shit to build on the characters and places, expanding into the new Bud Farm brand and beyond. This is the biggest cannabis game franchise of ALL TIME. That is because of fans, co-workers and supporters like all of you. Thanks for believing in us, we’ll be playing right beside you in whatever is next….
