Restore the Full Functionality of the (fluff)Friends Application

To: MindJolt

The undersigned give their signature in support and demand for the restoration of regular activity, production of new items, technical supervision and support, full functionality and continuing overall survival of the popular Facebook application (fluff) Friends.

The (fluff) Friends application is not just an online game, but is built up of an extremely close-knit online community of (fluff) Friends players, who are loyal and avid supporters of the application. Please note that the application currently has an impressive 75,563 monthly active users, with a 3.8-star rating out of 5 based on 7,747 reviews. To discontinue the regular activity of the game would mean not just the eventual end of the application, but also the breakup of the aforementioned community. The application itself and the accompanying forums are accessed on a daily basis by the users as they are strongly attached to the game and for them, the game is also comparable to another form of social networking entirely in itself. Some of these users have joined Facebook for the sole purpose of playing the game. Therefore, the loss of the regular and active (fluff) Friends application would, to such users, feel like the shutdown of Facebook or MySpace itself. The news that the application is no longer going to run actively with new releases and events on a regular basis has left many distraught and emotionally devastated.

We request MindJolt to reconsider and withdraw their decision to cease the production of new items, and once again restore (fluff) Friends to its former position.

*Below follow extracts of comments made by some of the users of the (fluff) Friends application upon receiving the news that new items will no longer be released, taken from the fluff forums and various Facebook groups:

"i've done a LOT of crying. Can't help it. I've been through so much in the past few years nad this community has helped me get through sooooo much that i can't help but cry...thankfully, seems like a lot of the community will still be here. just when i think i am done crying, i start all over again :("

"your not alone with the crying. I cried last night when i first found out (didnt help that i had personal issues going on at the same time) Sending you ***BIG FLUFFY HUGS*** ♥"

"Been crying since yesterday."

"I have been crying my hubby thinks I am nuts ....."

"Are we losing fluff friends? I have been on it since it started and can not believe it. It is more than a game. I have meant many friends there."

" I might stay up and play all night. what memories we have on fluff. The holidays with games and art. It make me very sad."

"I have been downloading all my fluff art to put in a FB album via a screen capture program and I can't believe how teary eyed I became. I started saving my art in May 2008 and had so many wonderful friends who inspired me. It was amazing to share those personal and thought provoking works of art."

"i have been tearful all evening, can't believe this.. I keep telling myself to get a grip but its horrible.."

"This is so sad :( I made so many good friends on Fluff. My hubby hugged me and told me to just keep doing the art until it shut down all the way."

" I love this app so much and all the wonderful people I've met here. Please don't take it away. Right now I'm heartbroken at the thought of one day coming and finding my precious leppit Goldie gone forever."

"PLEASE DONT TAKE OUR FLUFFSHINE AWAY !!! THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE FB APP!!=0( DONT GO PLEASE DONT I WAS SO EXCITED THINKING ABOUT A COMING HUNT OR EVENT THAT COMES THIS TIME OF YEAR ! PS I DONT HAVE A FANCY PHONE SO I WONT BE PLAYING MOBILE !"

"I LOVE THIS APP. Please don't give up on us... I come on Facebook to play Fluffs not to chat, I come on here to solely play this game. End of. It's breaking my heart :/"

"ah i remember the candles madness and the crazey setting alarm clocks...so many fond memories. i was lucky enough to get a big hug from my bf as well when i heard the awful news today. i think he understands my daily fluffing visits were like opening a little xmas gift *every morning* to me, hence how sad a feeling it is to have to say goodbye."

"setting alarms for candles during the 2009 Halloween hunt is one of my best fluff memories. I even booked time off work to finish the hunt. so much fun"

":(
i've never seen so many people online

so sad that it is because of this awful announcement. If it is true i want to say thank you for everything my friends. Whatever happens i will never forget this app and all the wonderful experience. I found friends and friends are FOREVER with or without this app"

...and there are hundreds more such comments.

Finally, below is attached an article by (fluff) Friends user Kit Marsters, taken from www.huffingtonpost.com :

"(fluff)Friends: A Warning to Game Developers

For a game developer, a dedicated community of players is everything. You can spend your life working on a brilliant game, but without players to embrace your creation it hasn't got a heart, or a soul. You'll also be quite broke, because the loyal gamer is more likely to invest in your game than the casual one.

A true gaming community will stick by you, so long as they know that you care about the game as much as they do. They'll congratulate and thank you when all is well, and forgive you for a glitch or error if you're willing to communicate with them. They'll understand that you need a roof over your head and food on your table. Many will be happy to support you. It's a two-way street -- respect them, invest in them and they'll respond in kind.

An example of a warmhearted, loyal community is that of (fluff)Friends, a social networking game on Facebook. Established in 2007 by Mike Sego, it was a simple little game. Users could adopt a virtual pet, visit the virtual pets of friends, and that was pretty much all there was to it. As the number of users grew, the game evolved. Habitats were introduced -- little backgrounds for the pets to live in. There were decorations and a variety of foods to feed, and players were overjoyed at the introduction of Minis and MegaMinis, the small and resizable versions of fluffs to keep their main fluff company.

Events livened up the game, in which special fluffs and items could be won. Players were able to visit others outside of their circle, and the 2008 Egg Hunt is still remembered fondly by many as the first time they truly discovered the wider community.

Friendships blossomed. People loved to gift, loved to share, loved to be able to establish ties with people from around the planet. Like any game, its users felt its highs and lows -- the introduction of a premium currency for special items met with some comment and so did the subsequent release of subscriptions -- but negative feelings settled and people were more than willing to help out others, either through trades or generosity. The community lived on.

It survived the purchase by SGN. It took a hit when the new owners released an atrocious new user interface which gave some users actual headaches due to its horrendous colour combination, and its completely counterintuitive design. When SGN didn't listen to the players who wanted the old version back, and insisted that the new design was cute, a lot of formerly dedicated players decided to leave. Some came back when months later the company relented and started to run both UIs side by side.

The community was still there despite the diminished amount of events, it hung in there through glitches and lack of communication, and when the game was taken over by MindJolt, it became hopeful that here was a company who would once more revive what the game used to be.

It did look promising, at first. Though their first event was ill-designed and a blatant drive for people to purchase the premium currency, there was what appeared to be a genuine enthusiasm by the new owners, and communication improved. The second event was good, old-fashioned fun and the players battled through the errors, determined to enjoy themselves.

This resilience and attachment to a social networking game might be difficult to understand for those who have never played one, but it highlights the heart and soul aspect. A game is more than fancy graphics and a clever interface. It's about people. Some (fluff)Friends players have travelled far and wide to meet face to face with other members. They rejoiced in each other's achievements and supported the other in times of need. That is true even now, although on the evening of the 29th of September, the community found itself in trouble. They're still there, but their game, for all intents and purposes, has come to an end.

It was a sudden blow. Just days earlier a new artist was announced. Any questions about a recent silence were countered with reassurances. Understandable, since the customer service advisor didn't have a clue about what was happening, either. She'd been working on an upcoming event. Paid subscriptions went through even on the 29th, and some purchased premium currency mere hours before the game ground to a halt. They're the lucky ones, in a way, because they'll be refunded if they so desire. Those who made their purchases on the 28th or earlier will have to accept their losses.

No announcement has yet been made in the game itself. Premium currency can still be purchased, though those who do not visit the dedicated forum will be making an uninformed decision in doing so. Meanwhile, the community is huddling together, bracing themselves for further bad news. For now, the game is still there but abandoned by its developers. No more updates. No more fixes. Whatever breaks will remain broken until the curtain falls.

The strange thing is that (fluff)Friends could have remained a thriving game. People wanted to spend money on it. Had the developers treated the game and its players with just a tiny bit more care and consideration, they'd have been on to a winner. And with the demise of competitor game SuperPoke! Pets, a huge user base of virtual pet-loving players is left stranded without a company to cater to them. Someone, somewhere, should take note, so long as that someone, somewhere is willing to listen to them and isn't simply out to bleed them dry. MindJolt tried that, and it didn't work.

These gamers are clever. From teenagers to grannies, students to teachers and scientists, they know the game. It is a shame that the developers have forgotten..."