Dong Nguyen, the Vietnamese indie game developer behind Flappy Bird, has announced through Twitter he will be pulling out the app several hours from now. The rationale behind why Nguyen has decided to remove his blockbuster app, which has skyrocketed to the top of both iOS and Android free app charts eight months since it was launched, remains a mystery.
There are so many questions about the fate of Flappy Bird once it bids us farewell for good? We try to answer all of your burning questions:
Why did Nguyen decide to pull out Flappy Bird? Speculations abound from being sued by Nintendo for allegedly ripping off artwork from Mario Bros. to his aversion towards the attention he has been getting from the press and fans. We are banking on the latter.
Will I still be able to play the app? There is a possibility you can. Some apps that have long been removed from the store remain playable on your mobile device.
What happens if Dong Nguyen pulls the plug off the Flappy Bird server? The worst thing that could happen is you can no longer update your score rankings, and that you won’t be able to tweet your new high score. Also, updates and customer support are out of the question. On the good side, there is a possibility that you will finally be able to play Flappy Bird ad-free.
Can I play it offline? We have received reports from players that they are able to fly that brick-heavy bird while on airplane mode, which means you can play Flappy Bird without having to worry about it misbehaving when connected to WiFi.
Can we put up a petition for Nguyen to change his mind? Of course, you can. However, the developer seems to be dead set about his decision to pull the game offline. There is also a petition on Change.org urging Vietnam to “prosecute Dong Nguyen and Flappy Bird creators for crimes against humanity.” We don’t think that would ever happen, though.
Can any other game company be willing to buy Flappy Birds? Nguyen has tweeted he will never sell the app, which is said to be earning him $50,000 a day courtesy of advertisements.
What about Nguyen’s other games? He did not announce the fate of “Super Ball Juggling” and “Shuriken Block,” so let’s heave a sigh of relief… for now.
Will he create more games after this? “And I still make games,” Nguyen tweeted.
Could this be a ploy to download Flappy Birds even more? It could be, and it is a very smart marketing strategy we should say.
What if the developer is actually trolling us into thinking he would pull out the app, but “change his mind” at the last minute? Nguyen allegedly sent a direct message on Twitter to a fan, saying that “if you can show me that many people enjoy the game, I will keep it.” You can show your love for Flappy Bird on Twitter using #SaveFlappyBird. (There is also a tweet going around asking for donations to keep Flappy Bird. We do not recommend it.) We shall see the app’s fate on February 9, 12 noon-ish EST.
