A decade ago Flappy Bird, a crude but colourful autorun-style game, became a viral hit on mobile. It was so successful, in fact, that it became a millstone for its creator, Vietnamese programmer Dong Nguyen, who at the height of the game's popularity (and profitability) made the unprecedented decision to remove the game from sale entirely. NGuyen would later rationalise his decision thus: "I can call Flappy Bird a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it."
The return of Flappy Bird has now been announced: but Nguyen is nowhere to be seen. This October relaunch comes from a group called The Flappy Bird Foundation, which the press release describes as "a new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world" who have "spearheaded the acquisition of the official trademark."
