With app-sensation Flappy Bird having been pulled from sale earlier this week, developer Dong Nguyen has claimed he axed the game as it had become ‘an addictive problem’.
Speaking in his first interview since pulling the 8-bit inspired game from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store while at its peak, Vietnamese developer Nguyen has stated that the app had become a major problem due to its addictive nature.
“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,” he told Forbes. “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.”
Despite the game reportedly generating $50,000 (£30,000) in ad revenues daily, Nguyen removed Flappy Birds from app stores on Sunday, February 9, less than 24 hours after announcing his plans to cull the game via Twitter.
Although the removal of Flappy Bird from app stores has caused public outcry, as well as seeing opportunistic eBayers list Flappy Bird installed phones for sale for £20,000, Nguyen insists that he has made the correct decision.
“I don’t think it’s a mistake,” the developer said. “I have thought it through. My life has not been as comfortable as I was before, I couldn’t sleep,”
Despite having battled his emotions on whether to remove Flappy Bird, Nguyen has hinted that the game pushed him to create greater titles.
He stated: “After the success of Flappy Bird, I feel more confident, and I have freedom to do what I want to do. Thank you very much for playing my game.”
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