Flappy Bird - Game Over
The young Vietnamese creator of hit mobile game Flappy Bird has removed it from the App Store and Google Play saying it 'ruined his life'.
The game, which was uploaded in 2013 but only surged to the top in downloads earlier this year was removed early today.
The success of the game that based its appeal on being simple and also maddeningly difficult made its creator Nguyen Ha Dong, 29, a minor celebrity.
The game was downloaded more than 50 million times on App Store alone. In an interview with The Verge website, Mr Dong said Flappy Bird was making $50,000 (€36,000) a day in advertising revenue
Mr Dong, from Hanoi, wrote on Twitter on Saturday that the Internet sensation caused by the game “ruins my simple life” and he now hated it.
“I will take Flappy Bird down. I cannot take this anymore,” he wrote.
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
He did not address the inflated downloads allegation but denied suggestions he was withdrawing the game because it breached another game maker’s copyright.
“It is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore,” he wrote.
It is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014
Meanwhile, if you have downloaded Flappy Bird and are having trouble getting your score into double figures, here's a handy tutorial.
And if you didn't download it?
There's now a thriving eBay market in handsets with the game pre-installed, some of them with bids up to $1,200!
Go figure…
