Meet Dong Nguyen, the genius behind one of the most popular games of all time, Flappy Bird. In 2014, this Vietnamese tech guru took the world by storm when his simple smartphone app became the talk of the town, eventually becoming the most downloaded free game in the App Store. At its peak, Flappy Bird was earning Nguyen a staggering $50,000 a day.
But success has its downsides. Nguyen soon realized that his creation was taking a toll on his mental health. Overwhelmed with guilt, he made the difficult decision to pull the game from the App Store and Google Play. Even to this day, Twitter users continue to beg Nguyen to bring back Flappy Bird, using the hashtag #bringbackflappybird.
But who is the mastermind behind this iconic game? Nguyen grew up in a small village near Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. His passion for video games was ignited during his childhood, spent playing Super Mario Bros. At just 16, he began coding, and his interest only grew stronger while pursuing a degree in programming.
Frustrated by the complexity of modern smartphone games, Nguyen created a game with a refreshingly simple user interface. Flappy Bird’s addictive simplicity appealed to users of all ages, even young children. Released on May 24, 2013, the game quickly gained popularity and was downloaded over 50 million times in less than a year.
Despite his success, Nguyen preferred to stay out of the limelight. He relished the air of mystery surrounding him and limited his media appearances. In fact, he revealed to university students in Vietnam that the game had actually ruined his life. “For the past 17 years, I only worked with computer screens, so I don’t have anything to talk about. I thought I had to exchange some things for my success. What I have exchanged is maturity,” he confessed.
So why did Nguyen decide to remove Flappy Bird from the App Store? While the game brought him immense wealth, he couldn’t shake off the guilt he felt. Numerous individuals reached out to him, explaining how the game had negatively impacted their productivity and caused misery in their lives. Constant criticism from fans and frustrated parents took a toll on Nguyen, who valued his privacy.
The pressure became too much, and Nguyen made the difficult choice to remove the app. The move shocked millions and sparked the trending hashtag #bringbackflappybird. Even during the pandemic, the game’s popularity resurged, with users longing for its return.
Today, Nguyen continues to develop games, describing himself as a passionate indie game maker. He strives to distance himself from the fame and focus on making games that bring joy to others. Although Flappy Bird may be a thing of the past, Dong Nguyen’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the hidden costs of success in the tech industry.
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