Flappy Bird creator says he removed his game because it was too addictive

Newsbrief: In a pair of interviews published today by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen claims he removed his smash mobile hit from app stores because it was too popular, causing him to suffer public harassment and feelings of guilt. "It was just too addictive," Nguyen reportedly told a Vietnam-based Wall Street Journal correspondent. "So I decided to take it down." Nguyen also reportedly told the Journal that he was having difficulty walking in his neighborhood without being "pestered" and that he had taken a leave of absence from both his day job and the Internet in general. "I couldn’t sleep," Nguyen reportedly told a correspondent from Forbes, when asked about why he removed his game at the peak of its popularity. "I don’t think it’s a mistake...I have thought it through." Gamasutra has -- very politely -- reached out to Nguyen for further comment.