Dong Nguyen surprised more than his fair share of people when he announced the removal of Flappy Bird from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The game, which was raking $50K a day for the developer, quickly became renowned for its difficulty. After its removal, Nguyen received death threats while devices bundled with the game went on sale for tens of thousands of dollars.
You really can’t make this up.
However, Nguyen has revealed to Forbes exactly why he removed Flappy Bird – it was becoming too addictive for consumers. “Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed. But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever.
“My life has not been as comfortable as I was before. I couldn’t sleep. I don’t think it’s a mistake. I have thought it through.”
Considering the insane amount of pressure that such a success entails – especially one that has sparked such a strong response from the community regarding its difficulty – it’s hard to blame Nguyen for his decision. What are your thoughts? Let us know below.