Flappy Bird Creator Denies Involvement in Blockchain-Revamped Game: Community Raises Scam Concerns
Dong Nguyen, the original creator of 2013 hit game Flappy Bird, said that he is not connected with The Flappy Bird Foundation, a game studio that announced that they will revive the game with new features in 2025, including the integration of blockchain elements and a Telegram game.
What’s the significance: Nguyen’s announcement warns crypto game players to be vigilant, as many from the community immediately expressed their doubt upon seeing the “revamp” game’s information.
About the 2013 Flappy Bird:
- What is Flappy Bird? It is a clicker game where players need to tap the screen so the bird will fly and will not bump into the green towers.
- The rise of Flappy Bird: The game became the most downloaded game since then, with Nguyen claiming it was making $50,000 a day.
- Why did the game cease? In 2014, Nguyen apologized for the addictiveness that the game caused to many, announcing that the game would be removed from Google Play and Apple App Stores.
- His words were, “I can call Flappy Bird a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.”
About the “Revamped” Flappy Bird
- The return: On September 17, a revamped version of the game was announced by “The Flappy Bird Foundation,” as first reported by online publication IGN.
- Who is The Flappy Bird Foundation? It describes itself as “a new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world.”
“We are beyond excited to be bringing back Flappy Bird and delivering a fresh experience that will keep players engaged for years to come. We have big plans for our little Bird!”
Michael Roberts, Chief Creative Officer, The Flappy Bird Foundation
- When will the revamped game be released? According to the foundation, an expanded version of the game is expected to launch by the end of October, while the mobile version is planned for release in 2025.
- What’s with the launch? The game will have new game modes, characters, progression, and massive multiplayer challenges, as explained by the new developers of the game.
- The Telegram Game: On September 16, the community was surprised after a Telegram version of Flappy Bird was launched within the messaging app’s Mini-Apps Ecosystem.
- The launch was said to be part of a “Flap-a-TON” event, which is a free mining event that claims to blend the “fun of Flappy Bird’s classic gameplay with the innovation of web3,” according to a press release.
- Decrypt also reported that Flappy Bird’s Telegram game is in partnership with Notcoin, one of the pioneers of crypto-based clicker games on the messaging app.
Screenshot from the Flappy Bird Telegram game.
- Is it legal for The Flappy Bird Foundation to release the game’s revamped version? In 2018, a gaming studio named “Gametech” acquired a trademark from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which was bought by The Flappy Bird Foundation.
- In 2014, Nguyen was said to have filed a trademark under the name “FlappyBird” but was tagged by the USPTO as “abandoned.”
- Meanwhile, a French developer named Kek was also said to be connected to the foundation. He developed Piou Piou vs. Cactus, also a clicker game that is inspired by the 2013 game.
- The Flappy Bird Foundation also allegedly bought the Piou Piou vs. Cactus’ trademark.
“Today is a milestone not just in gaming but for me personally. It’s so cool to see how influential Piou Piou has been for developers and hundreds of millions of gamers over the years. It’s incredible to work alongside such a dedicated team of fans and creators who are truly passionate about changing the industry narrative and together bringing the original Flappy Bird back to life.”
Kek, Developer, Piou Piou vs. Cactus
What to Watch: The community speculates that there will be in-game skins as NFTs and cryptocurrency integration.
- It is after the foundation claims that the revamped version of the game “will be the world’s first open-source, community-owned web2 and web3 game.”
- The Flappy Bird Foundation’s now-hidden website also wrote this: “The original Flappy Bird is back and will fly higher than ever on Solana as it soars into web 3.0. Build, create, play, and stake to own.”
- These revelations were found by crypto researcher Varun Biniwale, which includes a Solana-based in-game token called $FLAP, the bird’s skins, game backgrounds, and other features like “stake-to-own” and “free airdrops.”
Because of this, the crypto gaming community expressed their doubts about the new developer’s integrity, saying that it might be a scam.
- Game developer Aidan on X: “Knew something was off when they said ‘working with their predecessor’ without mentioning you by name.”
- Fortnite enthusiast M1das on X: “Clearest crypto scam ever made it looks like it was made by AI.”
- Tech enthusiast Abdul Raouf on X: “Thank you (Nguyen) for speaking up. The new
- @flappy_bird is a scam, don’t get fooled by these guys.”
- Facebook user Artie Campos: “As the article stated, the original creator has nothing to do with this. However, they failed to mention the company has a history of doing shady crypto/NFT BS before they bought the rights and they’re ignoring well known gaming journalist Patrick Klepek’s inquiries in the replies of every tweet they make.”
This article is published on BitPinas: Flappy Bird Creator Denies Involvement in Blockchain-Revamped Game: Community Raises Scam Concerns
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