It's actually a great PR stunt to pull the most popular app at it's peak. Everyone still playing will have to share their devices (aka socialize in person) with others in order to see how far they can get. In return, the app popularity will continue to soar, with double ad revenue for each banner generated. the last update recently on the App Store last week fixed the control issue and added the .Gears logo to the start up screen.
Bottom line: it will get these kids to download other titles available. there are 2 others on the App Store. They have 4 other games according to their website. Pulling the app now will mean they have a shot at another .Gears title becoming a hit very soon.
"Marvin is your intelligent personal digital assistant.
"Utilising a unique voice recognition technology, Marvin is able to respond to your commands without you having to press a button - he's always listening and waiting."
Even from the other side of the room you can ask Marvin things like:
- What's the time?
- Will it rain today?
- Start timer.
- Radio Alarm on.
- Start Music.
- Help!
If you want Marvin to stop listening, just say "Go to sleep" - he'll then sleep until you say "Wake up".
Marvin can also perform other useful functions like playing tracks from your iTunes library or waking you up in the morning with the radio.
How come Marvin's voice recognition is so accurate?
Marvin has a finite set of commands he is expecting to hear; this helps him understand you with great accuracy. There is also a short (5 minute) voice training phase during which Marvin will learn to respond to your voice.
I will have to go with Publicity stunt. If the guy was only doing it because he could not take it any longer he would have pulled the game immediately with no waiting period before removal. He gave a period of time before it was taken down and the story went viral. Downloads of the game spiked as people rushed to ensure they had their copy of this software. So now he has hundreds of thousands more if not millions more players making more ad revenue. And they are new players so the revenue will drop off slower than if he had just silently pulled the app. Flappy Birds will likely be back with a newer version in the not too distant future, but even if it is not, he will make lots of money.
The reason why this game went viral is because it essentially has become an internet meme. Popular YouTuber "PewDiePie" uploaded a video of him playing it -- he has 22 million subscribers, meaning that gave the game a lot of traction. Also, it became a trend to post vine videos (on the popular app "Vine"). These videos are also spread throughout other popular social media sites -- this is how the game has become a meme.
@Sporlo, I think the App Store reviews referring to possession and the devil is part of this meme. People have been making up stories about how this game has caused them to lose their life and sanity to the addictive qualities of this game. It's a bit of an ongoing dark-humor joke about this game.
I think that all of these jokes, videos, and internet memes being created in reference to this game, is part of the reason why the creator has taken down the game. I, personally, don't believe that is a justified reason to take a game that makes him $50k a day, but it's what he felt was the right thing to do.
Well, I did not know that, and it puts a lot of this in perspective. While I would never 100% rule out a publicity stunt, my reaction is to simply take him at his word that he just got frustrated with the response to his game.
Another thing that I can't join in on are the relentless claims that it makes no sense to give up $50k/day. I mean seriously, it sounds like Walter White complaining about Jesse Pinkman wanting to cash out at pennies on the dollar, but for $5 MILLION! We always complain about people having too much money, and yet it's somehow UNTHINKABLE that a guy would give up $50k/day (when he has already made quite a lot prior), WITH a legitimate reason. It's his choice anyway, just leave him alone.
Comments
If you missed Flappy Bird then check out Bird Mania. It's not another clone but it's just as addictive and frantic - https://itunes.apple.com/app/bird-mania/id569200648?ls=1&mt=8
Bottom line: it will get these kids to download other titles available. there are 2 others on the App Store. They have 4 other games according to their website. Pulling the app now will mean they have a shot at another .Gears title becoming a hit very soon.
Cool, there's an app for me.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id813704258?mt=12
I love the description:
"Marvin is your intelligent personal digital assistant.
"Utilising a unique voice recognition technology, Marvin is able to respond to your commands without you having to press a button - he's always listening and waiting."
Even from the other side of the room you can ask Marvin things like:
- What's the time?
- Will it rain today?
- Start timer.
- Radio Alarm on.
- Start Music.
- Help!
If you want Marvin to stop listening, just say "Go to sleep" - he'll then sleep until you say "Wake up".
Marvin can also perform other useful functions like playing tracks from your iTunes library or waking you up in the morning with the radio.
How come Marvin's voice recognition is so accurate?
Marvin has a finite set of commands he is expecting to hear; this helps him understand you with great accuracy. There is also a short (5 minute) voice training phase during which Marvin will learn to respond to your voice.
Visit http://bit.ly/MacMarvin to see Marvin in action!"
Whoa, that last link better not have my secret sex tape on it.
Making $50,000 per day is so painful. My sympathies.
He may have pulled in, that just means no new users. He may still make boatloads off the existing user base.
Nintendo denies asking Apple to take it down. The developer himself said it had nothing to do with any legal issues either
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nintendo-did-not-force-flappy-bird-creator-dong-nguyen-remove-game-app-store-1435844
to be continued . . .
The reason why this game went viral is because it essentially has become an internet meme. Popular YouTuber "PewDiePie" uploaded a video of him playing it -- he has 22 million subscribers, meaning that gave the game a lot of traction. Also, it became a trend to post vine videos (on the popular app "Vine"). These videos are also spread throughout other popular social media sites -- this is how the game has become a meme.
@Sporlo, I think the App Store reviews referring to possession and the devil is part of this meme. People have been making up stories about how this game has caused them to lose their life and sanity to the addictive qualities of this game. It's a bit of an ongoing dark-humor joke about this game.
I think that all of these jokes, videos, and internet memes being created in reference to this game, is part of the reason why the creator has taken down the game. I, personally, don't believe that is a justified reason to take a game that makes him $50k a day, but it's what he felt was the right thing to do.
Well, I did not know that, and it puts a lot of this in perspective. While I would never 100% rule out a publicity stunt, my reaction is to simply take him at his word that he just got frustrated with the response to his game.
Another thing that I can't join in on are the relentless claims that it makes no sense to give up $50k/day. I mean seriously, it sounds like Walter White complaining about Jesse Pinkman wanting to cash out at pennies on the dollar, but for $5 MILLION! We always complain about people having too much money, and yet it's somehow UNTHINKABLE that a guy would give up $50k/day (when he has already made quite a lot prior), WITH a legitimate reason. It's his choice anyway, just leave him alone.