‘Flappy
Bird’ Returns First
as Telegram Crypto
Game as Creator Denies Involvement
‘Flappy Bird’ Returns First as Telegram Crypto Game as Creator Denies
Involvement
The Flappy Bird Foundation touts a “fully legal and transparent” acquisition
of the brand amid backlash over the crypto revival.
By Andrew Hayward and Ryan S. Gladwin
Sep 16, 2024 Sep 16, 2024
7 min read
Flappy Bird is relaunching via Telegram in a team-up with Notcoin. Image: The
Flappy Bird Foundation
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Following days of speculation about the nature of the game’s return, it’s now
official: After disappearing 10 years ago, mobile game Flappy Bird has first
relaunched as a mini app on the Telegram messaging platform with an apparent
token in the works on The Open Network• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton (TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton).
Flappy Bird’s return is being done in collaboration with Notcoin , the
tap-to-earn Telegram game that kickstarted the craze earlier this year.
Notcoin is billed as the “strategic publishing partner” for the Telegram
version of the game, helping introduce the game to the TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton ecosystem via its
millions of players.
The Telegram launch of Flappy Bird began Monday with what’s called the
“Flap-a-TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton” event, which is described in a press release as “a free mining
event, blending the fun of Flappy Bird’s classic gameplay with the innovation
of Web3.” The game is playable now .
But the launch of a crypto-fueled Telegram version has already been deeply
controversial as first hints of the pivot were discovered last week. A
web-based version of the game mentioned a FLAP token on TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton, as Protos noted,
with plans for airdrop and staking rewards.
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Screenshots from Flappy Bird on Telegram. Image: Decrypt
Another page on the official website that has apparently been removed also
mentioned a Solana token, though Monday’s announcement only notes plans for
TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton integration. It’s unclear whether a Solana integration is planned for the
future, or if plans for Solana were abandoned as Telegram became a dominant
crypto gaming platform in 2024.
Blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн games and cryptocurrency• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта are often shunned by traditional gamers,
but there’s another element to last week’s announcement that raised eyebrows:
evidence that original Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen—who famously pulled the
game offline in 2014 amid its overwhelming success—apparently had nothing to
do with the revival.
As discovered by game developer Sam Chiet , the trademark to Flappy Bird was
apparently swiped by a company called Gametech Holdings, which challenged his
right to the trademark via the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and received a
verdict that it had been abandoned.
"But why would Nguyen sell the Flappy Bird Trademark??" "Hope he got his bag"
Looks like he *didn't*.
It seems like it's been long enough that the trademark was considered
abandoned, so Gametech Holdings LLC filed against him, and just. Grabbed it
for free. pic.twitter.com/EwVzuOLcHm
— Samperson (@SamNChiet) September 12, 2024
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In last week’s initial announcement, The Flappy Bird Foundation said that it
acquired the official trademark for the classic mobile game from Gametech,
along with the rights to Piou Piou vs. Cactus , an unrelated game that
apparently inspired the 2014 smash hit’s main character.
Nguyen confirmed those suspicions on Sunday, emerging from a seven-year
Twitter• Объект организация » Организации по алфавиту » Организации на Tw » Twitter, Inc. hiatus to confirm that he isn’t working on the Flappy Bird revival and
did not sell the rights.
“I also don’t support crypto,” Nguyen affirmed in a tweet that has been viewed
millions of times.
No, I have no related with their game. I did not sell anything.
I also don't support crypto.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) September 15, 2024
Nguyen’s comment only amplified the backlash against the Flappy Bird revival,
which is credited in a press release to “Chief Creative” Michael Roberts, who
previously spearheaded the NFT project Deez. Roberts had previously tweeted in
February 2023 that he had become an “owner of the brand/game Flappy Bird,” and
was working to “bring it into Web3.”
In response to a question regarding the acquisition of the Flappy Bird brand
rights and the involvement of Nguyen, the Foundation sent Decrypt ’s GG the
following response:
“The Flappy Bird Foundation Group is the rightful owner of the Flappy Bird
trademark. The brand and community were abandoned in 2014, and in 2018, the
trademark registration was awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark
Office to Mobile Media Partners, Inc. Gametech Holdings, LLC later acquired
the rights, and on August 23, 2024, the Flappy Bird Foundation Group acquired
the trademark rights from Gametech Holdings, LLC. The acquisition was
conducted through a fully legal and transparent process, ensuring that the
game’s revival is both legitimate and respectful of its history.”
The Foundation did not specifically respond to questions regarding Nguyen.
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Flappy return
Flappy Bird’s imminent revival was first announced last week, with the viral
mobile game—which tasks users with guiding a pixel bird through an obstacle
course of pipes—teased to return in some form this year ahead of dedicated iOS
and Android apps in 2025.
With this relaunch of the game, the Flappy Bird Foundation promised “new game
modes, characters, progression, and massive multiplayer challenges.” Initial
screenshots showcased new battle royale and basketball modes, along with fresh
characters to use.
“Telegram, as a platform, has proven to be a hub for communities that thrive
on interaction, which aligns perfectly with our vision for bringing Flappy
Bird into the Web3 space,” a spokesperson told Decrypt ’s GG.
“By launching Flappy Bird on Telegram first, we’re able to connect with an
engaged audience that’s excited about gaming and blockchain• Информационные технологии » Информационно-коммуникационные технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн
• Высокие технологии » Информационные технологии и телекоммуникации » Базы данных » Публичная база транзакций » Блокчейн integration,” they
continued. “Pairing the robust support from the TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton community with the current
infrastructure on Telegram has effectively provided us with the ideal
launchpad for Flappy Bird.”
Flappy Bird will be the second game launched via the Notcoin platform
following the discontinuation of the original tap-to-earn experience and the
launch of the NOT token on TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton in May. Notcoin launched a narrative game based
on the Lost Dogs NFT project last month, and that experience concluded its
tale last week.
“Notcoin has a deep connection with the gaming community on TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton,” the Flappy
Bird Foundation spokesperson said, “and partnering with them allows us to
honor Flappy Bird’s legacy from its Web2 roots while expanding into new areas
of innovation.”
The Foundation rep said that Flappy Bird will “always remain a free-to-play
game,” but that they “fully intend to integrate TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton into the game’s ecosystem
as part of future updates.”
“With the launch of Season 1 of our mining event, players will have
opportunities to earn TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton through gameplay,” they said, “but our immediate
goal is to enhance the player experience and keep the community engaged as we
roll out new features.”
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In 2014, indie developer Nguyen took the world by storm with the release of
Flappy Bird. Quickly, the game attracted 50 million downloads , topped the
charts in 100 countries , and raked in $50,000 a day from ads.
But Nguyen wasn’t happy. “I can call Flappy Bird a success of mine. But it
also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it,” he said on Twitter• Объект организация » Организации по алфавиту » Организации на Tw » Twitter, Inc. , soon
deleting Flappy Bird from the App Store. This only caused the bird craze to
grow stronger, with devices that had the app still downloaded eventually
selling for up to $90,000 .
I can call 'Flappy Bird' is a success of mine. But it also ruins my
simple life. So now I hate it.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014
Since then, we’ve seen multiple knockoffs of the iconic mobile game—including
a crypto-native copycat —but none were quite the real deal. While the new
version is called Flappy Bird, we’ll see whether gamers consider this
rendition to be the real deal given its origins.
Flappy Bird is coming back as a Telegram mini app as part of the TON• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ton crypto
gaming ecosystem that has seen explosive growth across 2024, mostly via
tap-to-earn games . Hamster Kombat , for example, claims to have amassed over
300 million players as players tap the screen and expand their virtual crypto
exchange in the hopes of earning token rewards.
Notcoin was the first mover for the trend, garnering 35 million players
between January and March and eventually launching a token that blasted to a
$2.97 billion peak market cap, making it the largest crypto gaming token
launch of the year. Hamster Kombat and other popular Telegram games Catizen
and Rocky Rabbit will debut their own tokens by month’s end.
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