Flappy Bird is taken offline: Could Nintendo Leaning on the Developer Been the True Reason?

I didn't play Flappy Bird but I did see a few screen shots and the pipes looked very Mario-esque.

In the days leading up to the takedown, Dong seemed to blame his increasing stress level largely on the press and a constant stream of media requests, tweeting to a Newsweek reporter:

“Hi Joe, I think press should give my game some peace. Its success is really overrate! I’m sorry, I refuse to answer questions.”


However, two of Dong’s friends told Reuters that he had received a warning letter from Nintendo — the ubiquitous pipes in Flappy Bird and other art appears to be lifted without any modification from the company’s Super Mario games.  Nintendo refused to confirm or comment on the letter to Reuters.

Too bad the creator Dong Nguyen didn't use different types of pipes or wooden blocks or something else as obstacles for the bird to fly through. The game seems super addicting and this guy could have made millions. However, Nintendo had to flex its mighty arms and squash him before the big money started to flow.

Maybe Dong will create a different version of the game with different obstacles. Maybe trees or roots or something. They could even change the obstacles as you get further into the game. It will give the game some variety and keep Nintendo off his back. Call if Flappy Bird 2: Escape from Nintendo's Legal Department.