Vietnamese mobile game developer Dong Nguyen is not a particularly sympathetic figure. That is, in a world beset by high unemployment and falling wages, the Flappy Bird creator is complaining that he’s too successful — all of that money, said to be $50,000 a day, and stress were just too much for him.
So, he threw in towel. Dong Nguyen pulled the plug, quit.
That is, while Flappy Bird has been pulled from the App Store, Nguyen has decided give up on success.
He has not, however, committed suicide. Also bogus are “7 reports of other suicides around the US today alone” related to the removal of Flappy Bird from the App Store.
Funny? Hilarious? Not?
What kind of publication, let alone person, posts a bogus suicide notice? While we know that Huzlers.com falsely reported Dong Nguyen took his own life, the publication didn’t attribute the piece — no one put their name on it.
To be fair, something Huzlers never attempts, the site is a parody news site that runs headlines like “Stevie Wonder Agrees to Box George Zimmerman…” and “McDonalds Exposed for Using Human Meat!” In other words, they are purveyors of absurdist humor, such as it is.
Dong Nguyen: Just a Guy
Frankly, it is easy, very easy to look at Dong Nguyen and say, “WTF, dude! You’re winning! Take our money, you fool!” But, he is a sole proprietor and just some guy who wants his life back.
I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014
I also don't sell 'Flappy Bird', please don't ask.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014
Yeah, Dong’s a bit of a bonehead — too bothered with success to continue offering the game and yet he won’t sell Flappy Bird either.
One way or another, relisting Flappy Bird on the App Store or selling it to another developer, Dong should get over himself and shut the hell up and take our money…
What’s your take?