After reaching the top of App Store charts, the hit iOS game Flappy Bird will be removed from the App Store. According to tweets from the developer Dong Nguyen, it sounds like the game will be removed from both the iOS and Android app stores in just 22 hours. In the tweets, Nguyen says he “cannot take this anymore” and refers to the game’s success as ruining his “simple life.” He says the decision has nothing to do with legal issues. Nguyen also says he has no interest in selling the game to anyone and that he’ll continue to make games.
I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014
I can call 'Flappy Bird' is a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014
The news is certainly shocking, seeing that the app has been bringing in an average of $50,000 a day in revenue since it hit the number one spot on the App Store charts. Of course, there was also some controversy surrounding how such a simple and basic game could climb the iOS charts so late after its release. The game was originally released in May, but it wasn’t until January 17th of this year that it was the #1 app on the App Store. According to Carter Thomas, an iPhone app designer, the traffic trends look eerily “similar to bot activity.”
It will certainly be interesting to see if Nguyen follows through and removes Flappy Bird from the App Store and Play Store tomorrow.
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I downloaded it. I played it. It was very very annoying. I wouldn’t blame him for hating it.
It’s news worthy because two days ago the news, about the same app, was that it was bringing in $50k per day in ad revenue. Now the guy wants to call it a day? Give it up? I guess hiring a staff with the money is more than he wants to do. But hey… If he made a few million over a few weeks… I guess he can just walk away!
>>In the tweets, Nguyen says he “cannot take this anymore” and refers to the game’s success as ruining his “simple life.”
How is this newsworthy in any capacity? Some moron can’t manage his life or even perform actions that fall in line with his beliefs. What does this have to do with anything?
Actually…I can see where this is causing him a headache. In business you have to create a process for new products. If you don’t, they can overwhelm you if the item is successful, yet you haven’t created the infrastructure to support it.
I would imagine that he when creating it app he just thought it would be a fun thing to do. I most likely never thought that it would be a huge success at all. With that success also came the tech support emails, feature request and general emails talking about how much they love the game. If he is a “one-man-show” then this all could have been a bit more than he could take.
Guess he never heard of Mail filters.
If you’re a one man show or a 100 man company, you should know your platform. The App Store and Play Store are immensely popular, and used by millions. If you’re not ready for big time, don’t put it out. Instead of whining like a baby, put on some Mail filters, quit logging in to Twitter/Facebook, or make new ones, and take your $50,000 a DAY and donate it to charity. Good grief…
This isn’t newsworthy- but it is a growing trend to write about and dramatise the most inane, trivial events, as though they are deeply relevent to us- not unlike producing tv content that is effectively celebrating our mediocrity. We are devolving at a steady rate. Well, not all of us.
I’m depressed enough already without you telling the truth all the time. Guess we’ll just have to work that much harder.
Flappy Bird is really a joke. Games like Angry Birds, Tiny Wings, Gravity Guy, etc. are addictive and I get that because they are well designed games and deserve the fame they got. On the other hand, Flappy Bird took this guy like 2 days to build and yet it’s the most downloaded app? What the hell are people thinking??
I’m gonna call BS on this. That app isn’t going anywhere. Unless of course he’s being sued and forced to pull it down for copyright, etc.
Really looks like Sumer Mario Bros, doesn’t it?
I think it looks and plays the same as an early App Store game called iCopter by Matthew Hertz. Same concept, tap the screen to stay up, tap faster to go higher, scrolling background…
erm …. is he mad or just trying to draw some more attention from the public?
it is still available at App Cake in cydia