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Flappy Bird: Jack Nelson rents out iPhone to addicts for $1 per minute

Mr Nelson posted an ad on Craigslist after trying to sell his iPhone in eBay

Wednesday 12 February 2014 16:37 GMT

Flappy Bird flaps no more in the app stores

A man is renting out his iPhone 5 for $1 (0.60p) a minute to Flappy Bird users desperate to continue playing the game, after its creator pulled it from online stores.

Over the past few days hundreds of smartphones installed with the addictive game have gone on sale on eBay for thousands to players desperate to get their hands on the game.

US-based Jack Nelson initially posted his phone on eBay with a starting bid price of $499.99, before his listing was pulled as the phone had not been restored to factory settings before going on sale.

In his post on Craigslist, he wrote: “Have you ever wanted to play the game Flappy Bird? Heard about it on TV or online? And who really wants to pay thousands of dollars to buy one of these pre-loaded phones? Pay a few bucks and rent my phone with the app installed for a much cheaper price!"

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

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1/10In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

QWOP

Released: 2008. Created by developer Bennett Foddy, this 2D running game has some inexplicably awkward controls. While the location of the keys used to operate the athlete are close together to work the calves and thigh muscles, you'll soon find yourself pressing the keys to no avail as the athlete simply flops onto the ground. Nevertheless, despite its difficulty, the game helped Foddy's website reach 30 million hits, showing the vast reach the game has had.

foddy.net

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

Super Hexagon

Released: 2012. Created by Terry Cavanagh, Super Hexagon is a game that requires you to rotate a small triangle absorbed on the top of the hexagon without 'crashing'. At first, it may be difficult to discover what you actually have to do, with the game simply consisting of rotating hexagons. The game has six difficulties, a set of "normal" modes - Hexagon, Hexagoner, and Hexagonest - and a set of "Hyper" versions of those levels which are unlocked upon surviving for 60 seconds or more. As the difficulty increases, so does the likelihood that your iPhone will smash against the wall.

superhexagon.com

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

The Impossible Game

Released: 2009. Originally released on Xbox 360, The Impossible Game has just one control, tapping the screen to jump. The gameplay really is quite simple: you can control a fast moving square through a level, tapping to jump over objects at just the right time. However, even the most experienced gamer will struggle to cope with the number of 'fail' attempts at trying to move through the levels.

impossiblegame.org

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

Canabalt

Released: 2009. One of the first of the infinite-running type games where players navigate a series of oncoming obstacles Canabalt induces the kind of self-destroying sinking feeling you get when you're running into a series of obstacles yourself. Created by Adam Saltsman in 2009 and available on iOS, Playstation Portable and Android, the endless nature of this game means that the tradition of highest scores dominate the purpose of the game, with leaderboards allowing users to compare with the rest of the world.

YouTube

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

Battletoads

Released: 1991. Created by Tim and Chris Stamper, Battletoads presents itself as a one-player game but is widely remarked to be impossible to play alone. Bizarrely, you can play in co-op mode but instead of helping one another, players can damage their friends, making it nearly impossible to go through the level when players are close together.

YouTube

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

Ninja Gaiden

Released: 1988. The Ninja Gaiden series is regarded as one of the most difficult of all time in the industry of gaming. The storyline provides many twists and turns, with a cliffhanger being presented at the end of one game. As the PS4 was released in 2013, developers have opted to release a new title in the near future. With catchy music and an exciting story, the original NES title is one of the most celebrated, but has maintained the same level of complexity throughout.

thegamershub.net

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

Dark Souls

Released: 2008. Across all platforms such as PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows, Dark Souls is a game that rewards a gamer's bravery and courage, while also penalising for costly mistakes, losing your progress if you die twice. One of the most difficult games ever made, it literally throws you into the deep end. Those who like some instructions before you start a game, forget it. Working out how it works is also part of the deal, and only expert gamers are expected to conquer this near-impossible game.

complex.com

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

Ironpants

Released: 2013. Following Flappy Bird's removal from the App Store, Ironpants has taken over as the most downloaded game on iTunes. Although it was created by a different developer, it's essentially a clone of Flappy Bird. However, rather than simply dropping, the Ironpants chracter floats for slightly longer but, if anything, it looks to be tougher than Flappy Bird.

iTunes

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

I Wanna Be the Guy

Released: 2007. Created by Michael O'Reilly, I Wanna Be the Guy is a 2D platform indie freeware game and represents everything that was good about early gaming, constructed as a difficult platform adventure. Starting off as 'The Kid', the player then finds themselves on a journey to becoming 'The Guy.' The ever-fragile Kid explodes in a shower of red pixels at the slightest brush from the game's many obstacles, from traditional spikes and bottomless pits, making it enjoyable while also infuriatingly frustrating.

In loving memory of Flappy Bird: 10 of the hardest games to break your thumbs on

ARMA II

Released: 2009. Only available on PC, many have criticised the ARMA series from Bohemia Interactive as far too realistic for it to be a game, which is inevitably a positive comment towards the graphics produced. Those expecting a game similar to the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield will receive a nasty surprise, as ARMA II represents more of a military simulation that is bound to baffle the average gamer, with extensive manuals and life-like workouts.

Mr Nelson told The Telegraph: ”On Craigslist there were many sellers attempting to sell their electronic devices at exorbitant prices". Instead of selling a device for $5,000+, I decided I would let people rent my device and play for $1 a minute. That way they could test out the game (and see how incredibly frustrating it is) instead of purchasing a very expensive, used device. In a way it's a 'try before you buy' model.“

Users will be invited to play the game in locations such as his home in Washington DC or in cafes such as Starbucks, where he can monitor his phone.

Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen spoke out earlier this week over his decision to pull the game from Android and iOS app stores, saying that it was an 'addictive product' that had become 'a problem.

He arrived at his decision over fears the game was becoming too addictive, saying: "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."

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