The flap is back? Flappy Bird dev 'considering' a relaunch
Clones don't measure up
Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen dropped a surprising bombshell in an interview with Rolling Stone - he's "considering" bringing the game back to the App Store and Google Play.
Nguyen's decision is an unexpected move, considering the tone of his communication when he unceremoniously pulled the game on 9 February.
"22 hours from now, I will take Flappy Bird down. I cannot take this any more." Nguyen tweeted shortly after he complained that the "success" of a game "ruins my simple life".
Returning to roostThe move by Nguyen was unthinkable - at the top of his game, and the App Store charts, he pulled the plug on a viral hit that was generating an estimated $50,000 per day.
Shortly after Flappy Bird's disappearance, a seemingly endless flood of clones washed over the App Store and Google Play - but none of these concern Nguyen.
"People can clone the app because of its simplicity," he says, "but they will never make another Flappy Bird."
A valuable nest eggRolling Stone also notes that the millions of Flappy Bird installs are still "generating tens of thousands of dollars" for Nguyen courtesy of its in-game ads.
This revenue stream has changed Nguyen - incidentally - although perhaps for the better. He's retired from his day job to focus on developing games full-time and is considering moving out from his parent's flat to his own living space.
He's even considering splurging on a Mini Cooper.
But one thing he's not considering is selling Flappy Bird or revamping it. Nguyen mused that he only change he'd include to the prospective re-release would be a "warning" on Flappy Bird that reminds players to "please take a break".
[source: Rolling Stone]