"Flappy Bird" Recalled To Save Users From Addiction

So says the game's creator

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It happened to become an addictive product

Flappy Bird was pulled from mobile stores to save you - yes you - from video game addiction. Or so claims Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen.

The game was pulled from both the iTunes App Store and Google play despite the free game making over $50,000 a day in advertising revenue. Now Nguyen is telling Forbes he recalled the game because it's an “addictive product.”

"It happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem," said Nguyen who added that the development and release of the game took a toll. "My life has not been as comfortable as I was before. I couldn't sleep," he says.

Before the game was pulled from stores Nguyen gave little explanation, stating only “it is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore.”

The success of the game drew criticisms that Nguyen employed bots to boost the game's ranking in Apple's App Store, when asked about these allegations he responded on Twitter: “It doesn't matter. Don't you think? If I did fake it, should Apple let it live for months?

Since pulling down the game Nguyen has been going Internet-free and resting even though he still has two other popular games in the Top 20 list in Apple's App Store: Super Ball Juggling and Shuriken Block.

At least we now know why the game was pulled; for you, ya bunch a junkies.

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[Via Polygon, Forbes]

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