Dong Nguyen, the game developer now famous for creating and removing the number one app stores hit “Flappy Bird,” said he pulled the game because of it was too “addictive.”
Nguyen told Forbes he meant for the game to be played “when you are relaxed,” but “it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem,” the developer said, before confirming the game is “gone forever.”
The 29-year-old Vietnamese developer was visibly distressed, according to Forbes, and smoked multiple cigarettes during the interview at a Hanoi hotel where he refused to be photographed. Nguyen explained his life “has not been as comfortable” since Flappy Bird exploded in media coverage last week.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Nguyen said.
After taking an Internet hiatus following the removal of the app over the weekend, Nguyen said he does not regret the decision. On the positive side, he said the game’s sudden popularity also boosted his confidence.
“After the success of Flappy Bird, I feel more confident, and I have freedom to do what I want to do,” Nguyen said.
In a separate interview with Idea to Appster, the developer explained why he made Flappy Bird so incredibly difficult, which inevitably led to its addictiveness.
“Having a day job and not much time to develop, I had to make a game that was really short and simple,” Nguyen said. “I also had to make the game very difficult to increase its lifespan because I don’t have the resources to create ongoing content like the big game companies. If my games fail, I am still fine because I have a good day job.”
“The hardest part is you have to make something different to make any sense. I’m trying to make something different,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen indicated he will continue to publish new games through his .GEARS Studio development company, and already has two others in the App Store top 20 — Super Ball Juggling and Shuriken Block.
