The prodigal son of mobile apps is possibly going to make his shocking return. Fans of the highly addictive and highly frustrating Flappy Bird game will be happy to know that the app‘s controversial developer might let the popular game see the light once more.
After a very publicized freak out, Flappy Bird‘s creator, Dong Nguyen, sat down for an in-depth interview with Rolling Stone magazine to talk about the rise and fall of his (now infamous) app.
The magazine met with Nguyen in his native of Vietnam, where he is currently residing with a friend of his. He says the media attention surrounding him and the game got too much for him and that both international and local Vietnamese paparazzi would bombard his parents home, where he had been living.
Obviously, it is understandable that international, and especially US media, are obsessed with the Flappy Bird saga. However, Vietnam is not really a custom to internet millionaires – so having someone like Nguyen in close proximity is a BIG story.
This is exactly what caused Nguyen to pull the app in the first place. The 28-year old developer broke the news himself on Twitter, saying that he will be deleting the game off both the App Store and Google Play.
In a series of tweets, he said that the attention surrounding the app has gotten too much for him to bear. Of course, as sick as the human race can be, he received countless death threats, should he go through with his plan.
However, he did, and subsequently pulled the app on February 9th.
Since then, Nguyen says he can sleep better and has his appetite back. At the hight of his “˜fame‘, he said that he could not eat or sleep and even contemplated suicide. Sounds like someone was suffering from severe anxiety.
“œI was just making something fun to share with other people“ Nguyen said in the magazine. Nguyen coded his first game, a chess game, at the age of 16. He says he never expected Flappy Bird‘s intense popularity.
But, of course, the question on everybody‘s mind was: “˜Why would someone pull an app that makes upwards of $50 000 a day?‘. Well, as Nguyen has said before, it simply got too much.
There were also rumours that he tried to evade a lawsuit form Nintendo. It‘s obvious to anyone that has played the game or seen the artwork that it does have a striking resemblance to Nintendo‘s Super Mario game.
However, so far nothing has come of that rumour, so we‘re guessing it‘s best to put it to bed.
When asked how he feels now that the app is pulled and the media storm has settled down a little, Nguyen answered: “œRelieved“.
But then came the big shocker. The Rolling Stone journalist asked him a question that many of us have been wondering about; will you ever release the app again?
“œI‘m considering it“ he answered.
Woah. And just like that, a little inkling of hope sparked up in Flappy Bird fans once again.
However, he continued that, IF, he was to release Flappy Bird to the masses once more, it would not be a new version. He also said that, despite numerous offers, he will not sell the game.
Nguyen said that if he would ever bring the game back, it would be the original version with one, small (yet super important) tweak – a warning that reads“ “˜Please take a break‘.
This was, after all, one of the aspects that drove Flappy Bird fans mad – the game‘s impossible difficulty and addictiveness.
Whether or not Flappy Bird is set to fly once more, Mr. Nguyen will surely handle things differently. And if, dear Flappy Friends, he does decide to bring it back, let‘s all try to NOT be mean and send death threats and all. You know, that tends to piss people off.
Source: Rolling Stone
