Flappy Bird App Gets Removed

Photo courtesy of Forbes

There has been a lot of talk since Dong Nguyen announced that the number one game in the App Store, Flappy Bird, was going to be taken down. Not only have there been articles about Flappy Bird destroying lives, but also how the game being removed is saving lives. 

The objective of the game is to tap the screen, keeping the bird afloat through the pipes without hitting them. It is a simple concept yet becomes difficult when users attempt to beat their own high score. Many gamers had high scores of just three or four while others took scores as high as 147.  So why did the creator take down the game? According to BuzzFeed, he tweeted how his success was ruining his simple life, and he was making $50,000 a day from the game. 

Nguyen did not handle the existence of the game very well, but instead of selling the game, he had it removed from the App Store. Although the game has been taken off the App Store, it still exists on any device that has downloaded it prior to the takedown. 

From a public relations standpoint, a company must always think of its client. Nguyen’s reasoning was truthful, but perceived as selfish which gained bad publicity for the game itself. The creator had several options to minimize his “lavish” lifestyle.  Nguyen could have sold the game, or released a patch to give players more lives or easier playing time. Donating part of the money he was receiving to charity could have been an option as well. When any company encounters a challenge with criticism, it is always good to acknowledge the problem to all consumers, but never just walk away. That not only gives the company a bad name, but your name as well.


By Analita Voss 

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