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Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen has spoken out following the furore 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'.
Buses were overturned, skyscrapers were ripped out of the ground and a state of emergency was declared worldwide earlier this week, when fans of the constant-tapping game reacted with horror at its departure.
While he receives death threats on Twitter, Nguyen has spoken about the reasons behind his decision to pull the plug in an exclusive interview with Forbes, 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. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever."
You hear that? Gone. Forever. Never to flap again (that is unless you have already installed the game, in which case you have until it is rendered obsolete by future OS updates).
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It seems the fame Flappy Bird brought Nguyen proved too much for him, with the game designer adding that "my life has not been as comfortable as it was before" and that he is having trouble sleeping.
This came in spite of reports that the game was earning him more than $50,000 a day in advertising revenue, on which he commented: "I don’t know the exact figure, but I do know it’s a lot."
iPhones holding the game have sprung up on eBay at exorbitant prices since its removal from app stores, and numerous rip-offs have popped up in its place, including Happy Bird and Fly Birdie.
Asked if he had anything to say to disappointed Flappy Bird gamers, Nguyen offered: "Thank you very much for playing my game."
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