‘I did not sell anything’: ‘Flappy Bird’ creator denounces upcoming ‘re-release’ of viral game
After it was announced that Flappy Bird would be returning, the creator, Dong Nguyen, shared his thoughts on the supposed re-release.
Flappy Bird was initially released in 2013. The gameplay was fairly simple; players controlled a bird named Faby and had to navigate Faby through pairs of paces with equal-sized gaps placed at random heights. If Faby bumps into a pipe, he instantly dies, and players must restart from the beginning. Every time a player successfully passes through a pipe, they earn a point, and they can win a bronze medal if they hit 10 points. A silver medal is awarded for 20 points, a gold medal for 30 points, and a platinum medal for 40 points.
Despite the simple gameplay, players expressed their frustration over how difficult it was to pass through the pipes, yet they couldn’t stop playing due to how addictive it was. Amid the fame, the game was taken off all mobile app stores on February 10, 2014, with Nguyen stating: “I cannot take this anymore.” Now, over ten years later, the game is returning, but Nguyen is not pleased or involved.
Flappy Bird creator denies selling rights
When it was announced that Flappy Bird would be re-released in 2024, the developers (called The Flappy Bird Foundation Group) claimed that they acquired the official Flappy Bird trademark rights from Gametech Holdings LLC. However, Dong Nguyen has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to deny that he sold the rights.
In his tweet, he stated that he has no relation to the game and did not sell anything related to Flappy Bird. He added that he does not support cryptocurrency.
The upcoming Flappy Bird game reportedly has ties to cryptocurrency and the blockchain. An ad for the game claimed that players will “fly higher than ever on Solana as it sours into Web 3.0.” Additionally, as reported by Dexerto, Cyber Security researcher Varun Biniwale reportedly discovered a webpage related to the game that alludes to a currency called “Flap Token.”
Previously, the United States Patent and Trademark Office revealed that the Flappy Bird trademark was wrangled off of Nguyen by Gametech Holdings after the rights were terminated for inactivity.
When is the new Flappy Bird game being released?
Flappy Bird will first hit desktops and browsers in the third quarter of 2024. An iOS and Android release is scheduled for 2025. More platforms will likely carry the game in the future.
The new version of Flappy Bird will have the original gameplay while also including new game modes, storylines, and multiplayer challenges. While players can use the original bird, Faby, new characters will be added to the new game.
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