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Flappy Bird will return to Apple’s app store, creator Dong Nguyen has confirmed – although he declined to give a specific date.
Dong Nguyen had been asked by a fan on Twitter if he was going to put the game back in the app store.
“Yes. But not soon,” said Dong Nguyen.
Later he added: “I don’t work by plan. I will release it when it is done.”
Dong Nguyen removed the popular game in February, saying its popularity had ruined his “simple life”.
Flappy Bird will return to Apple’s app store
Launched in May 2013, Flappy Bird was free to download and required players to tap the screen to keep the bird in flight.
Despite its simple graphics, Flappy Bird was a notoriously difficult game since many users could only keep the bird in the air for a few seconds before it hit an obstacle and fell.
Flappy Bird went viral after being promoted almost entirely by social media users and was reviewed on a YouTube channel by more than 22 million subscribers.
The game was downloaded 50 million times, and at the height of its popularity, Dong Nguyen was reportedly earning $50,000 a day from advertising.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Dong Nguyen said he was moved to remove the popular mobile game from the App store after users wrote to him detailing how the game had destroyed their lives.
After Flappy Bird was taken down, users started several passionate petitions to get the game reinstated.
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Popular game for mobile devices Flappy Bird was removed from online stores on Sunday by its Vietnamese creator, who said its fame “ruins my simple life”.
Dong Nguyen, who created the game in just two to three days, was making as much as $50,000 a day from the game’s advertising revenue.
In several Twitter posts, he said the game’s removal was not due to legal issues and that he may make a sequel.
Dong Nguyen, who describes himself as a “passionate indie game maker”, also said on the micro-blogging site that he will not sell Flappy Bird but that he will still make games.
Flappy Bird has been downloaded more than 50 million times, making it this year’s most popular mobile game so far.
Flappy Bird has been downloaded more than 50 million times, making it this year’s most popular mobile game so far
Launched in May 2013, the game was free to download and required players to tap the screen to keep the bird in flight.
Despite its simple graphics, Flappy Bird was a notoriously difficult game since many users could only keep the bird in the air for a few seconds before it hits an obstacle and falls.
The game went viral after being promoted almost entirely by social media users and was reviewed on a YouTube channel by more than 22 million subscribers.
Flappy Bird official version was only available for Apple and Android devices. It quickly became the number one free game in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store charts.
Apple will pay at least $32.5 million in refunds to parents whose children made in-app purchases without their consent after a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The refund agreement settles long-standing complaints over in-app purchases made by children without their parents’ consent.
Apple will also be required to change its billing procedures to make sure customers have given consent before they are charged for in-app purchases.
The company said it had settled rather than take on a “long legal fight”.
“This settlement is a victory for consumers harmed by Apple’s unfair billing, and a signal to the business community: whether you’re doing business in the mobile arena or the mall down the street, fundamental consumer protections apply,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez in a statement.
“You cannot charge consumers for purchases they did not authorize.”
Apple will pay at least $32.5 million in refunds to parents whose children made in-app purchases without their consent
The FTC’s complaint alleged that Apple failed to inform parents that by entering a password they were approving a single in-app purchase and also 15 minutes of additional unlimited purchases their children could make without further consent.
It also said that Apple often presented a password prompt screen for parents to enter their details without explaining that this would finalize any purchase made in the app.
The FTC also noted that Apple received at “least tens of thousands of complaints” about unauthorized in-app purchases by children.
This refund settlement only covers customers who have made purchases through Apple’s US app store.
The changes to Apple’s billing process, which means express consent must be obtained before in-app charges are made, must be in place by March 31, said the FTC.
Apple’s App Store offers many games for children, a large number of which allow in-app purchases to be made. These purchases can include virtual items or currency, and typically allow faster progression in the game.
In-app purchases can range in cost – from 99 cents to just under $100.
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Facebook launches its own app store to promote mobile programs that operate using the social network.
Facebook said the App Center will become the “new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something” and other titles.
Developers will have the ability to charge a fee for apps sold in the store in the near future, Facebook said.
The announcement came as Facebook admitted growth in mobile use could hurt future advertising revenue.
Ahead of its initial public offering, Facebook told potential investors in a statement: “If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetization strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected.”
Facebook launches its own app store to promote mobile programs that operate using the social network
The App Center is expected to be rolled out globally in “the coming weeks”, said Facebook’s Aaron Brady in a post on the network’s developer blog.
“All developers should start preparing today to make sure their app is included for the launch,” he wrote.
However, Aaron Brady said the store was not designed to compete head-on with the likes of Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
“The App Center is designed to grow mobile apps that use Facebook – whether they’re on iOS, Android or the mobile web,” he wrote.
“From the mobile App Center, users can browse apps that are compatible with their device, and if a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play.”
Only apps which make use of Facebook’s log-in system Connect are eligible to be included in the store.
Saverio Romeo, an industry analyst from Frost & Sullivan, said the store announcement suggested an aggressive push by Facebook to become a bigger player in mobile.
He said Facebook needed to become “more significant, to attract more ideas and get more experience in the mobile space”.
“I think the store is an important element – a community of developers is a fundamental element in the growth we have seen with Apple and Android,” Saverio Romeo said.
He also said he believed Facebook could position itself as the first major app store to be platform-agnostic – that is, not tied to a single platform such as iOS or Android.
“The type of applications that the Facebook community can develop can have an incredible open horizon.
“Facebook is ubiquitous – it does not have any preferential routes. The question is the monetisation of all this.”
