The Curious Exit of a Beloved Game

"Flappy Bird" -- the colorful game that prompted iPhone gammers to propel birds through a series of gaps between green tubes -- was launched last May, gained a steady following in November and, as of last week, was raking in a daily profit of $50,000 from advertisers.

But then last weekend, the game's developer Dong Nguyen sent a series of strange messages on Twitter and announced his product would be removed from app stores. After months of patient discipline, the game finally was beginning to gain some serious traction -- on track, perhaps, become the next Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga.

Nguyen updated the game's version last Friday, and then Saturday he announced via Twitter that he would pull the game from app stores.

"I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down," he said on Twitter. "I cannot take this anymore... I just cannot keep it anymore."

Nguyen said he was not interested in selling the game, and the reason why he was removing the game from app stores was not for any legal reason. It is unclear why he all of a sudden decided to remove the game from the digital marketplace, although there's speculation swirling that Nguyen used fake accounts in order to help boost the game's popularity.

Ask anyone who knows me, I am literally the farthest thing from a gamer. I played a console game once by accident (which didn't end well), and I think I have one game installed on my iPhone for when my young cousins commandeer my phone. Tech news isn't something I naturally gravitate toward, and I haven't come across anyone who actually plays this game. But the story struck me as bizarre.

Those who have already downloaded the game may continue navigating birds through skies -- for now. For those who haven't, there's always Angry Birds... or so I'm told.