Flappy Bird is dead and gone, unfortunately. But after the app’s reclusive (and seemingly troubled) creator Dong Nguyen deleted it out of nowhere — “because it ruined his simple life,” he said — everyone wanted to now the REAL reason why he pulled it from app stores.

In an interview with Forbes, Nguyen explained that Flappy Bird “happened to become an addictive product” and he thought it had become a “problem.”

“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,” says Dong Nguyen, in an exclusive interview, his first since he pulled the plug on the app. “But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever.”

The free app was #1 (until it was deleted) across all app stores and was reportedly pulling in at least $50,000 a day through advertisements, but Nguyen found that type of overnight success overwhelming.

“My life has not been as comfortable as I was before,” explained Nguyen to Forbes. “I couldn’t sleep.”

But since deleting the app, Nguyen says that his conscience has been relieved, and he spent the days afterward “Internet-free,” catching up on sleep. “I don’t think it’s a mistake,” he says. “I have thought it through.”

Nguyen insists that he will NOT be bringing Flappy Bird, even though the world wants him to, but as Forbes points out, there are so many knockoffs that they need not worry:

Clones have stormed the App store with names like Flappy Plane, Flappy Whale, Flappy Penguin and Flappy Angry Bird.

Asked if there was anything he wanted to tell the disappointed fans Flappy Bird, Nguyen said simply, “Thank you very much for playing my game.”

R.I.P. FLAPPY BIRD…

Source: Forbes