Flappy Bird by the Numbers • Hacker News Board

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#91

Post by egypturnash » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 4:34 AM UTC

kamaal wrote: post #80

blackhole wrote: post #4

What disturbs me most about this is the complete lack of empathy people have for the guy. Just look at the comments on the link explaining that Flappy Bird was removed from the app store. Our culture is so completely and utterly obsessed with money that everyone says he's an idiot for taking down an app without realizing the chaos one goes through in a situation like that. They hurl insults like "weak" and "fragile"…

Your post was brilliant but you ruined it with this.. >>only to be puzzled when having a large number in their bank account fails to actually solve any of their problems. I'm not sure what kind of utterly broken philosophy propagates this idea. Do people actually believe that some one starving, unable to afford any kind of medical care, who doesn't have a proper home, clothes or anything for that matter is far more h…

Yeah seriously. My grandma died and left me enough money to not have to work for like ten years, even without investing it. I live relatively simply to try and stretch it out, but goddamn if it hasn't removed a ton of stress from my life and made me a lot happier. I've got the freedom to spend my days writing and drawing a comic about a lesbian robot with reality problems instead of scrambling for crappy web dev work or begging my friends who draw stuff for PopCap for an in to go work all week on stuff I don't care much about.

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#92

Post by bane » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 4:36 AM UTC

blackhole wrote: post #4

What disturbs me most about this is the complete lack of empathy people have for the guy. Just look at the comments on the link explaining that Flappy Bird was removed from the app store. Our culture is so completely and utterly obsessed with money that everyone says he's an idiot for taking down an app without realizing the chaos one goes through in a situation like that. They hurl insults like "weak" and "fragile"…

The thing is, at this point, there was literally zero additional involvement this guy had to have to anything related to the game. Just sit back and check in on an ever increasing bank account. Once the fad died down, enjoy the money. He didn't have to show himself, do interviews, anything at all.

Just accept the cash and fade off into obscurity.

It's hard to empathize with somebody who had to take a specific action to make himself less better off in the end, he was better off with doing nothing at all.

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#93

Post by john2x » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 4:42 AM UTC

bane wrote: post #92

blackhole wrote: post #4

What disturbs me most about this is the complete lack of empathy people have for the guy. Just look at the comments on the link explaining that Flappy Bird was removed from the app store. Our culture is so completely and utterly obsessed with money that everyone says he's an idiot for taking down an app without realizing the chaos one goes through in a situation like that. They hurl insults like "weak" and "fragile"…

The thing is, at this point, there was literally zero additional involvement this guy had to have to anything related to the game. Just sit back and check in on an ever increasing bank account. Once the fad died down, enjoy the money. He didn't have to show himself, do interviews, anything at all . Just accept the cash and fade off into obscurity. It's hard to empathize with somebody who had to take a specific action…

The minute he exposed how much money he was making, he made himself a huge target in Vietnam. Making that much money is dangerous in SEA if you don't have any connections.

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#94

Post by furyofantares » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 4:43 AM UTC

bane wrote: post #92

blackhole wrote: post #4

What disturbs me most about this is the complete lack of empathy people have for the guy. Just look at the comments on the link explaining that Flappy Bird was removed from the app store. Our culture is so completely and utterly obsessed with money that everyone says he's an idiot for taking down an app without realizing the chaos one goes through in a situation like that. They hurl insults like "weak" and "fragile"…

The thing is, at this point, there was literally zero additional involvement this guy had to have to anything related to the game. Just sit back and check in on an ever increasing bank account. Once the fad died down, enjoy the money. He didn't have to show himself, do interviews, anything at all . Just accept the cash and fade off into obscurity. It's hard to empathize with somebody who had to take a specific action…

You've perfectly illustrated the post you are replying to, from my perspective

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#95

Post by Nicholas_C » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 4:57 AM UTC

gojomo wrote: post #89

Nicholas_C wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a player can get one point a second that's 2.78 hours of continuous play that would be needed to score 9999.

'Desert Bus' requires 8 hours to score one point... http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/07/the-w... ...and people play it for days, for charity!

Wow. That is hilarious. I was going to comment that it should be an Apple/Android app just for shits and giggles but after a cursory search I discovered that it already is! And it costs $1!

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#96

Post by jotm » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 5:23 AM UTC

blackhole wrote: post #4

What disturbs me most about this is the complete lack of empathy people have for the guy. Just look at the comments on the link explaining that Flappy Bird was removed from the app store. Our culture is so completely and utterly obsessed with money that everyone says he's an idiot for taking down an app without realizing the chaos one goes through in a situation like that. They hurl insults like "weak" and "fragile"…

Well he basically slaughtered a goose laying golden eggs. Why not just let it grow old? Hand it over to someone else?

That money isn't just going to stay in his bank account - he can use it to fund a new app, get a car, a new computer, a house, education - it does seem weak willed to take it down because of the pressure of success (of all things)...

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#97

Post by jotm » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 5:25 AM UTC

john2x wrote: post #93

bane wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, at this point, there was literally zero additional involvement this guy had to have to anything related to the game. Just sit back and check in on an ever increasing bank account. Once the fad died down, enjoy the money. He didn't have to show himself, do interviews, anything at all . Just accept the cash and fade off into obscurity. It's hard to empathize with somebody who had to take a specific action…

The minute he exposed how much money he was making, he made himself a huge target in Vietnam. Making that much money is dangerous in SEA if you don't have any connections.

Sharing the money would've gotten him the connections.

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#98

Post by jordsmi » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 5:32 AM UTC

Mikeb85 wrote: post #25

I get it. Here you have a developer who just wanted to make games, and maybe a bit of money. He creates a hit, by accident, with a game that has addicting gameplay (and it is, I personally love it). Then everyone in the media calls his game crap and accuses him of cheating the system (without producing any proof). I'd quit too.

I don't see the point in quitting.

I'd rather just not read twitter for a few weeks(can't be that hard) and rake in the cash.

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#99

Post by interstitial » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 5:38 AM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #42

jamesaguilar wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say, given what money can do for you in this world -- how much easier it can make your life, the doors it can open -- that it is at the very least surprising that anyone would turn down this kind of success. In fact, I'll bet you'd have trouble finding one person out of a hundred who would not be willing to suffer pretty significant pain for two weeks if it meant they'd make $50,000 a day. Given that people a…

The possible subtext is that he is shutting it down in fear of bad repercussion - like being exposed for gaming the app store rankings - or to simply avoid such accusations.

The 'satan' frequency in the reviews vs. the rest of the app store is a smoking gun. https://sensortower.com/flappy-bird-scripted-reviews-analysi...

Re: Flappy Bird by the Numbers

#100

Post by verteu » Mon, Feb 10, 2014, 5:54 AM UTC

blackhole wrote: post #4

What disturbs me most about this is the complete lack of empathy people have for the guy. Just look at the comments on the link explaining that Flappy Bird was removed from the app store. Our culture is so completely and utterly obsessed with money that everyone says he's an idiot for taking down an app without realizing the chaos one goes through in a situation like that. They hurl insults like "weak" and "fragile"…

Why not keep the game up and give the money to charity? Removing a good that people want to pay for destroys value. It's like wasting millions of dollars' worth of food.