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Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

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Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#101

Post by jonny_eh »

theorique wrote: post #90
United857 wrote: post #57

Another plausible reason that I've not seen reported is that if he was indeed pulling in $50k/day, that makes you a target in Vietnam (average monthly salary $185). In that part of the world, being rich without having the right connections/protection can be very, very dangerous.

The scale of wealth is so different, wouldn't he be able to purchase protection? Granted, it would involve a radical lifestyle transformation that might be unpleasant and jarring, but it seems like he already got exposed to that by getting internet famous. Might as well enjoy the money.

You can't transform your lifestyle like that overnight, especially if you value your current one, which it sounds like he did.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#103

Post by elhector »

xg15 wrote: post #71
hnriot wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I totally disagree with his point of view. He could simply sell the game to an established company that is already set up to handle the responsibilities that come with running a business. Throwing away $50k/day is just a stupid thing to do.

As he wrote, he didn't put the game down because he was afraid of the money or didn't want to run a business, he was actually afraid of the effect the "addictiveness" of the game had on some of its users. With that premise, selling to an established company would have been the most irresponsible thing he could do. After all, the biggest assets of the game are its large user base, the media hype and just that "addicti…

Agree, funny how most comments focus on the money aspect of the conversation. He wanted to feel socially responsible again, did not like the impact that his game had on people's psyche / addictive behaviors and pulled the plug because of it.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#104

Post by stcredzero »

bsenftner wrote: post #25

As a long term developer of entertainment software, I totally agree with his point of view about the impact one's software has upon the lives of the user. The general acceptance goes that the crazies and depressed will be triggered by something and its not your fault if something provocative you worked on triggers an incident. That's what the group think tells us, but in ones personal reality it's not that easy to sh…

That's what the group think tells us, but in ones personal reality it's not that easy to shrug off.

The Internet not only has increased the range of hateful groupthink, it has made a large number of people believe that it is somehow noble and elevated. It almost seems like there's an anti-intelligentsia of forum manipulators who see the creation of new and pointless forms of prejudice as a kind of sport.

I have the growing impression that there's a growing segment of people online who see their outrage and any acts motivated by it as the expression of some kind of enlightened vigilante justice. It just so happens that the worst crimes against humanity were motivated by people who thought just like that. Unfortunately, it's the single best way to blind yourself against your own evil deeds while making it likely you'll get trapped into irrevocable courses of action.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#105

Post by watwut »

theorique wrote: post #90
United857 wrote: post #57

Another plausible reason that I've not seen reported is that if he was indeed pulling in $50k/day, that makes you a target in Vietnam (average monthly salary $185). In that part of the world, being rich without having the right connections/protection can be very, very dangerous.

The scale of wealth is so different, wouldn't he be able to purchase protection? Granted, it would involve a radical lifestyle transformation that might be unpleasant and jarring, but it seems like he already got exposed to that by getting internet famous. Might as well enjoy the money.

Would he be able to pay that in long term? And if not, what happens when he runs out of money? Relationships and livestyle he has now would be gone forever and he would not be able to pay new one.

Plus, he would be lucky if people protecting him would simply left. Those are probably people you do not want to mess with at all. It is entirely possible they would get dangerous and demanding.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#106

Post by watwut »

interstitial wrote: post #40
Geee wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's original. There weren't any games that work exactly like it.

Except for the one with a fat yellow bird with tiny wings, with the same game mechanic of a 2D scroller, flapping through holes defined by green cactus instead of Mario World tunnels, it's original.

That one is different in multiple ways. Try to play one and then another. It looks the same, but is not. You may like one and get bored by another.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#107

Post by Dylan16807 »

Blahah wrote: post #70
hnriot wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I totally disagree with his point of view. He could simply sell the game to an established company that is already set up to handle the responsibilities that come with running a business. Throwing away $50k/day is just a stupid thing to do.

Others might say chasing $50k/day is a stupid thing to do. With enough money to live off, plenty of people seek happiness elsewhere.

Not chasing, just accepting from something that was already made.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#108

Post by georgiecasey »

robflynn wrote: post #99
conesus wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, I run a news reader and you wouldn't believe some of the hate mail I receive. I just assumed he received much more of it and not enough of the positive mail. Also, when you're at the business end of a press blitz, you get overwhelmed and can make irrational decisions that you might come to regret.

It was the same for me when I was project lead for Gaim/Pidgin. I was lead for something like 6 years and I eventually got tired of the hate. Sure, there was plenty of praise, too. But the harassment eventually became annoying. It hit it's breaking point when someone folks managed to figure out my cell phone number and would call me at all sorts of hours (3am once!) to "tell me about their ideas." I changed my cell n…

Big difference is you weren't being paid! I had a free and ad-free app on Android and I got some abuse about missing features. I took it down after a while. The sense of entitlement was unreal. Now if I was making $50k a day, I'd take all the abuse that could have been thrown at me!

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#109

Post by specialist »

stcredzero wrote: post #104
bsenftner wrote: post #25

As a long term developer of entertainment software, I totally agree with his point of view about the impact one's software has upon the lives of the user. The general acceptance goes that the crazies and depressed will be triggered by something and its not your fault if something provocative you worked on triggers an incident. That's what the group think tells us, but in ones personal reality it's not that easy to sh…

That's what the group think tells us, but in ones personal reality it's not that easy to shrug off. The Internet not only has increased the range of hateful groupthink, it has made a large number of people believe that it is somehow noble and elevated. It almost seems like there's an anti-intelligentsia of forum manipulators who see the creation of new and pointless forms of prejudice as a kind of sport. I have the g…

made a large number of people believe that it is somehow noble and elevated.

People haven't changed. There have always been trolls, malcontents, crazies. Attend any public hearing, ask any fan club or newspaper mail room.

As a new medium, the distinction of the web is significantly lowered transaction costs. No different from email spammers.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#110

Post by megablast »

Destitute wrote: post #87

Does anyone know what language he coded the game in? It's kind of a feat in itself that he ported it (by himself) to Android rather quickly. Is he using some sort of wrapper?

It is not a complicated game. Would not have been to hard to do it natively.
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