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Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

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Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#171

Post by fit2rule »

stcredzero wrote: post #117
specialist wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

People haven't changed. There have always been trolls, malcontents, crazies. Attend any public hearing, ask any fan club or newspaper mail room. Yes, but now the seductive idea that one can improve the world by getting one's teenage hormonal aggression out on somebody "who deserves it" is beamed into people's living rooms and onto devices in their pocket, complete with calls to action. How many teenagers do you know…

Sorry but haven't you just become what you resist? Who are these 'bad teenagers' and why do they need to be punished?

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#172

Post by rythie »

unreal37 wrote: post #153
rythie wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I expect that $50k/day drops off pretty quickly (most I know stopped playing after a few days), if he give got that - it was after all a estimate.

The article says he confirmed it was $50K a day, and he's STILL making >$10K a day. He's doing ok.

Where does it say >$10k?

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#173

Post by mpermar »

grecy wrote: post #116
mpermar wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He could also have scheduled a recurrent funds transfer to the charity of his choice. That would have been a lot of karma for the future.

He said he was overwhelmed with guilt from all the people who's lives were going down the drain because of his game. Simply taking all that money and giving it away doesn't change that. The end does not justify the means.

Those people's lives will go down with the next game then whether is FarmCrush, or Angryville, or CandyBirds. It does not matter. So... well... better give the money to a good cause imho.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#174

Post by antirez »

jusben1369 wrote: post #130
antirez wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, seen from outside, this seems something strange and, in my opinion, not good about the American culture: there is always somebody to blame for your problem, a reason why you are acting in a given way, an external cause if you suffer a medical problem, eat too much, put all the kind of pills in your body, and so forth. Probably this is representative only of a minority, but from the outside this looks like…

Why do you think this is a US specific issue?

From Europe is easy to notice the difference, random examples: the class actions against tobacco companies are strange from our point of view, or, the other day there was a blog post about somebody losing a member of his family for an illness and he blamed in part a software (it was not the case...), and instead to see a WTF reaction there were plenty of retweets and messages supporting this point of view. Or, even in popular culture like reality shows that are transmitted here, this attitude is constantly present "I did this because of this".

I think you can see it at different levels even on the other side of the medal. I think customer care Americans experience is stellare compared to Europe on average, because Europeans hardly will blame enough the service supplier even when it is the case and this would result in raising the level of service. Apple was one of the first companies to provide US customer service here and at first I and my friends were pretty surprised that this was possible at all.

As with everything I guess this is just a bias and everywhere there are people of all the kinds, but because of culture there are some biases. Like, sicilians can be the most honest often, but surely on average my island exhibits a bias for not being able to stay in line, park the car where it is not possible and so forth. Basically I'm not generalizing.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#175

Post by 72deluxe »

antirez wrote: post #174
jusben1369 wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think this is a US specific issue?

From Europe is easy to notice the difference, random examples: the class actions against tobacco companies are strange from our point of view, or, the other day there was a blog post about somebody losing a member of his family for an illness and he blamed in part a software (it was not the case...), and instead to see a WTF reaction there were plenty of retweets and messages supporting this point of view. Or, even i…

I had never noticed this about the level of service Apple offers here in the UK, but it is true. Most people don't like making a fuss here, from what I can tell. They grumble about it, but don't actually complain if something is wrong. I think it is changing.

But I would agree that the concept that something you do is someone else's fault is wrong. If anything, accepting that idea leads to daft warning messages on everything, eg. mats on the Land Rover Freelander dashboard for putting stuff with massive warnings reading "Don't put hot drinks here!". It is obvious, but they felt the need to put it there in case someone blamed them for their action of putting a roasting hot drink there and then accelerating swiftly. It's silly.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#177

Post by 72deluxe »

acchow wrote: post #16
trevoragilbert wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think to myself that I definitely wouldn't have, and that I would have weather the storm of the press outside my house, and just focused on that great payday (everyday). But from what I've heard, the paparazzi changes everything and it really is life-changing. So hard to say either way.

A software developer/entrepreneur is not a rock star. The paparazzi will disappear and the game be forgotten in a few weeks.

Come to think of it, name any recent rock stars... anyone? I can only think of people outside the last 10 years...

It seems you can just as easily be forgotten as a rock star.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#178

Post by cycojesus »

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.

Given the number of Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and cars in general roaming the streets of Hanoi I'm not sure that's a valid point.

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#179

Post by 72deluxe »

petemc_ wrote: post #85
mark212 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not so sure. It would have to use iAd on iOS to do display ads, and Apple would yank that access with a breach of the terms of service. I doubt he's still getting "tens of thousands" of dollars from ad revenue in Android alone.

I never saw any ads when I played it on android.

I did, but you probably didn't notice it because it wasn't in your face whilst you played the main game. I think it was shown after you had ditched. Clever.

(It was probably because I was always ditching and dying that I saw them; I was pretty hopeless at it, although when I plugged my Xperia S into HDMI, the phone ran noticeably slower so it was significantly easier to play.... just a tip for anyone out there....)

Re: Flappy Bird Creator Dong Nguyen Speaks Out

#180

Post by Fuxy »

Great to hear he's doing OK.

There's just one recommendation i can give him develop a thicker skin you can't change your game for every person blaming external things for their own incompetence.

My office is net to the call center if you ever hear the stupid shit people say you will realize you can't take anything to heart.

Do your thing man and ignore people complaining that their life was ruined by you in some way they will blame everybody except themselves.

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