Developer says he's taking down popular 'Flappy Bird'

The developer of mobile title Flappy Bird says he's removing his game from Apple's App Store and Google Play, one week after the title's sudden surge in popularity.

According to a recent tweet, Dong Nguyen, creator of Flappy Bird, said he would take the game down 22 hours from now. "I cannot take this anymore," he says.

"It is not anything related to legal issues," says Nguyen in a later tweet. "I just cannot keep it anymore."

Nguyen did not offer any additional details on his surprise plans to pull the game, which soared to the top of the Free Games charts on both iTunes and Google Play.

In a tweet sent on February 4, Nguyen said the press were "overrating" the success of Flappy Bird and his other titles. "It is something I never want. Please give me peace," Nguyen wrote.

The game features a small bird players must navigate through a series of pipes by tapping the screen to keep him airborne. Along with its simplicity, Flappy Bird was known for its high degree of difficulty, as the slightest brush with any object ended the game.

:story: USA Today