Creator of “Flappy Bird” App Threatens to Take It Down

The past year has seen the rise of the smartphone game “Flappy Bird” as one of the most popular downloadable apps. It is so popular as to generate $50,000 daily in ad revenue or $1.5M per month and $18M per year. However, the app’s creator Dong Nguyen (pronounced “win”) of Vietnam says his simple life has become intolerable with the attention the app has brought him. In a bid to return back to the quiet of writing programs, Nguyen has said he will pull the popular game from the app store.

He has held open the possibility that he would keep the app available if he can be persuaded that it brings people joy. Really? It’s one of the most popular games being downloaded which is proof enough of its popularity. Oddly enough, Mr. Nguyen has refused to sell the rights to the game. Presumably, he could get his peaceful life back with a stack of cash to boot if he just sold it.

Critics charge that the game isn’t as popular as indicated by its download ranking. They claim internet bots repeatedly download the game to pad its numbers and increase its ranking. For what it’s worth Mr. Nguyen vows he’ll keep writing more games.

Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10626852/Flappy-Bird-to-be-taken-down-after-ruining-creators-life.html