Flappy Bird Creator Considers Bringing Game Back to iOS and Android
Given the fact that Flappy Bird suddenly went viral and was generating $50,000 per day from in-game ads, it was all the more shocking that its creator, Dong Nguyen, made good on his promise to yank the app from iTunes and Google Play. At the time, he claimed his decision was for the greater good of gamers who were becoming addicted to his title. Was that really the case? In an interview with Rolling Stone, Nguyen revealed what led to his decision to pull the game, and whether or not it might ever come back.
As far as Flappy Bird making a return, Nguyen says he's "considering it, though if it does ever happen, it will come with a "warning" to "Please take a break." In other words, he's holding fast to his story that he pulled the game offline out of guilt, and you might be surprised at some of the messages he was receiving leading up to that decision.
On his iPhone are several saved messages from angry adults, one of which reads, "13 kids at my school broke their phones because of your game, and they still play it cause it's addicting like crack." Others told of losing their jobs, and there was a mother who neglected her kids because she became addicted to Flappy Bird. These hit close to home for Nguyen, who himself struggled during tests in high school because he was spending so much time playing Counter Strike.
There was also the pressure of suddenly becoming famous in a village that lacks celebrities. He has both international and local press constantly searching him out for pictures. It's not something he ever wanted, as he voiced in a tweet asking for some peace.
One could argue that Nguyen brought all this on himself and knew what he was getting into, but given that he's created apps in the past that never became popular, that may not be true. As for Flappy Bird, he set out to create a quick time waster that could be played with one hand while leaving the other hand free to, say, hold onto a train strap.
It's an interesting read and one that certainly sheds some light on why he felt the need to clip Flappy Bird's wings.
As far as Flappy Bird making a return, Nguyen says he's "considering it, though if it does ever happen, it will come with a "warning" to "Please take a break." In other words, he's holding fast to his story that he pulled the game offline out of guilt, and you might be surprised at some of the messages he was receiving leading up to that decision.
On his iPhone are several saved messages from angry adults, one of which reads, "13 kids at my school broke their phones because of your game, and they still play it cause it's addicting like crack." Others told of losing their jobs, and there was a mother who neglected her kids because she became addicted to Flappy Bird. These hit close to home for Nguyen, who himself struggled during tests in high school because he was spending so much time playing Counter Strike.
There was also the pressure of suddenly becoming famous in a village that lacks celebrities. He has both international and local press constantly searching him out for pictures. It's not something he ever wanted, as he voiced in a tweet asking for some peace.
One could argue that Nguyen brought all this on himself and knew what he was getting into, but given that he's created apps in the past that never became popular, that may not be true. As for Flappy Bird, he set out to create a quick time waster that could be played with one hand while leaving the other hand free to, say, hold onto a train strap.
It's an interesting read and one that certainly sheds some light on why he felt the need to clip Flappy Bird's wings.
