Flappy Bird creator pulled game because it was an 'addictive product,' and more news for Feb. 11, 2014
The creator of Flappy Bird, Dong Nguyen, has told Forbes that the reason he pulled the wildly popular game was because it was an addictive product:
"Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed," says Dong Nguyen, in an exclusive interview, his first since he pulled the plug on the app. "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."
The game, which has captivated gamers and the tech media, was the No. 1 free download on the App Store for much of the last month. It's estimated that Flappy Bird was earning Nguyen US$50,000 a day. Many players pointed out similarities between Flappy Bird and Nintendo's Mario franchise, but Nguyen confirmed that his decision was not motivated by legal threats from Nintendo.
In other news:
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has released an iOS app. Burns is best known for his PBS documentaries like Baseball and The Civil War. Apple customers are likely familiar with iMovie's eponymous "Ken Burns Effect," which mimics the filmmaker's slow panning and zooming of still images. Ken's new app features selected scenes illustrating recurring themes in American history and is a free download.
Speaking of American history... Steve Jobs is featured in a new "American Cool" exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Other American icons in the exhibit include Robert Mitchum, Faye Dunaway, Johnny Depp, Elvis Presley, Patti Smith and Jay-Z. The exhibition runs until September 7th.
As time goes on, the availability of new Apple products usually improve. Not so for the new Mac Pro. Ship times in UK, other European online stores, Australia and China have now increased by a month to "April" delivery estimates.
