Apple By Matthew Humphries Feb. 17, 2014 8:00 am
The removal of the original Flappy Bird from app stores was met with gamer outrage and the inevitable wave of clones to fill the massive hole left by the game. And there have be many, so many in fact, that both Apple and Google have taken notice and started rejecting them.
If there’s a Flappy Bird clone you really enjoy playing, don’t worry, it isn’t going to disappear. It’s only new submissions that are being stopped from reaching your device. Apple’s reason for rejecting such apps is that they “leverage a popular app.” Google is being much more to the point, though. Anyone producing a Flappy Bird clone now is creating “spam” and needs to stop.
Some developers have been frustrated by the rejections, claiming you can’t leverage a popular app that isn’t available to download and play. That’s a good point, but one that’s unlikely to get Apple or Google to change their minds. Both app stores have more than enough Flappy Bird-like games to last gamers a lifetime.
There’s also a question raised about where you draw the line when it comes to rejecting/accepting a new game that’s similar to Flappy Bird. How are the app review teams comparing the games? Is it mechanics, use of similar characters, art style? There’s so many ways a game could be similar to the original that it forms a bit of a minefield for developers.
One thing I would be interested to see is Dong Nguyen changing his mind and attempting to get the original back on app stores. Would Apple and Google reject his submission now? What if he tried to release a Flappy Bird 2? He is the original creator, but I don’t think that guarantees he’d get a free pass anymore due to all this clone spamming.
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If there’s a Flappy Bird clone you really enjoy playing, don’t worry, it isn’t going to disappear. It’s only new submissions that are being stopped from reaching your device. Apple’s reason for rejecting such apps is that they “leverage a popular app.” Google is being much more to the point, though. Anyone producing a Flappy Bird clone now is creating “spam” and needs to stop.
Some developers have been frustrated by the rejections, claiming you can’t leverage a popular app that isn’t available to download and play. That’s a good point, but one that’s unlikely to get Apple or Google to change their minds. Both app stores have more than enough Flappy Bird-like games to last gamers a lifetime.
There’s also a question raised about where you draw the line when it comes to rejecting/accepting a new game that’s similar to Flappy Bird. How are the app review teams comparing the games? Is it mechanics, use of similar characters, art style? There’s so many ways a game could be similar to the original that it forms a bit of a minefield for developers.
One thing I would be interested to see is Dong Nguyen changing his mind and attempting to get the original back on app stores. Would Apple and Google reject his submission now? What if he tried to release a Flappy Bird 2? He is the original creator, but I don’t think that guarantees he’d get a free pass anymore due to all this clone spamming.
More...
