MANILA, Philippines — If you haven’t downloaded Flappy Bird yet, you’re out of luck.
As promised, Dong Nguyen, the Vietnamese developer behind the hugely popular smartphone game pulled the mega hit from both the iOS app store and Google Play early Monday morning, February 10.
On Sunday Nguyen took to Twitter to complain about how people are “overusing” his game. He gave users 22 hours to download the app saying he would “take down” the game because he “cannot take this anymore.”
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, 2014Ironically an update – version 1.2 for iOS was released just this Friday, February 7.
Last week, tech site The Verge reported Nguyen was earning an average of $50K per day from the game’s banner ad sales.
Nguyen has since been recluse, avoiding the press even is his hometown of Hanoi. Vietnam-based sources tell Rappler, Nguyen is currently under a self-imposed lockdown inside his family’s three-story apartment. A photo of Nguyen posted on Vietnamese news site Kenh14.vn shows the developer winning a programming award back in 2008.
On February 5 Nguyen also tweeted, “press people are overrating the success of my games. It is something I never want. Please give me peace.”
Press people are overrating the success of my games. It is something I never want. Please give me peace.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 4, 2014Nguyen says he will still make games. His other games, “Shuriken Block” and “Super Ball Juggling” are still available online.
Launched on iOS in May of 2013 and on Android this January – the game skyrocketed to the top of the charts last month. The game went viral after frustrated users took to social media to complain about how a seemingly simple game was exceedingly difficult.
Some speculate the takedown could be preemptive action following accusations that the game was copied from iOS game Piou Piou vs Cactus, released back in 2011. Some fans have also called the game out for using pipes that closely resemble those in the hit Nintendo game Super Mario.
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– Rappler.com
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