Dong Nguyen said he took down Flappy Bird, his own creation, because it was "too addictive," which contradicted his intended purpose for the game.
Uploaded in 2013, Flappy Bird launched to the top of the charts on the Apple App Store and Google Play market early this year. The game's exceptional level of difficulty caused users to play continuous rounds in succession, which in turn drove advertisers to Dong.
He told the Verge last week he was making $50,000 a day on revenue from in-app ads. Then, of course, there was the version of the game that customers could buy in order to eliminate ads.
"I just wanted to create a game that people could enjoy for a few minutes," he told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, the first interview since Flappy Bird took off.
"It was just too addictive," the 29-year-old Vietnamese game maker said. "That was the main negative. So I decided to take it down."
Users of Flappy Bird have a simple task: take the bird as far as possible by tapping the screen to keep the bird afloat while avoiding obstacles. The game's one glaring wrinkle is that is particularly difficult.
The game's artwork is reminiscent of Super Mario World and speculation that Nintendo was preparing a lawsuit was running wild. Nintendo said in a statement that was not the case, but Dong was still felling pressure as a result of the rapid success Flappy Bird was getting.
Dong said he still lives at home with his parents in Hanoi, Vietnam, and still enjoys making games. Thanks to Flappy Bird, Dong said he could not be seen in public without people noticing who he is.
"I respect other people's opinions about my games," he told USA Today. "I am sure I didn't cheat anything, and I don't have to do that."