It was 2014, and suddenly, without anyone expecting it, a game appeared on the Android Play Store and the iOS App Store that would radically change the Internet: Flappy Bird. This game set real records for users and players who, obsessed with getting the best score, spent hours making the yellow bird jump through different pipes. The game was so successful that its creator, who became a millionaire in a matter of hours, was forced to abandon the game and remove it from stores for mental health reasons. Now, 10 years later, it seems that Flappy Bird is coming back, although with many “buts.”
This week it was announced that a company had acquired the rights to the original game. But they did not buy them, instead Gametech Holdings LLC acted like pirates and appropriated the license because it had been out of use for several years, and US laws allow this.
As expected, the internet has been abuzz with the prospect of this popular game returning to app stores and being able to download and play it again. The new owners of the license plan to launch a browser version this fall, followed by an improved version for mobile devices.
However, not all that glitters is gold.
Flappy Bird: In-app purchases, crypto and more
As we can see in various media that have had access to privileged information, the new Flappy Bird is going to include all kinds of elements with which the company seeks to extract money from users. For example, we will be able to have different levels that we can buy within the game, other game modes, different birds… all within a blockchain that, surely, reminds you too much of the NFT scam.
The truth is that it is very scary what this game can become. We remember that, at its launch, it attracted so many players that its creator earned more than 50,000 dollars a day just in advertising. And it was a really addictive game that caused anxiety for many people to play, as well as mental health problems. If we add in-app purchases and cryptocurrencies to these ingredients, Flappy Bird can become something very dangerous that will bring more than one person trouble.
And what does the original creator of the yellow bird think?
Its creator denies it
Its creator has been silent on social media for 7 years until yesterday, when he posted a new message on his Twitter account.
Dong Nguyen
@dongatory
No, I have no relation with their game. I didn’t sell anything.
I also don’t support crypto.September 15, 2024 • 10:09
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In this message he just makes it clear that he has nothing to do with the game anymore, and that he is not going to sell anything or take any commission from sales made within the game. He also makes it clear that he does not support cryptocurrencies, so while we are all happy about the game’s return, it seems that something is not right with the new Flappy Bird.
Flappy Bird was a success for several reasons: it was fast, difficult, demanding, competitive, and, above all, free to play. There was just a banner ad at the top that didn’t get in the way. If they now fill it with in-app purchases, crypto elements (which smell like NFTs to me) and other stuff, we doubt the title will ever make it past the first pipe. And if it does, it won’t take long to crash. Times have changed in these 10 years.
