Flappy Bird was a viral mobile gaming sensation that took the world by storm in early 2014. But the hugely popular and notoriously difficult game was suddenly removed from app stores at the peak of its fame by creator Dong Nguyen. This gave devices that still had the game installed extreme collector value for nostalgic gamers and fans. Just how much has the Flappy Bird craze driven up the resale value of phones and tablets over the years? Let‘s fully analyze the flighty economics.
tripping Through The Tubes
To understand Flappy Birdmania, you have to know what made the game so uniquely challenging yet addictive. The concept itself was incredibly simple: guide a flying bird through gaps in a series of green tubes by tapping the screen to flap its wings and fly higher. Here‘s the catch: the bird had a gravity-driven downward drift and would accelerate towards the ground with each drop. The only control was frantic screen taps to gain altitude while avoiding walls and pipes.
Timing was everything with this frustrating but compelling mechanic. Mastering the rhythmic rise and fall gameplay required tremendous precision. Your poor bird crashed to earth over and over until that elusive perfect run of 20, 50 or even 100 pipes threaded. The glowing neon Super Mario-esque art added nostalgic flavor. It was gaming boiled down to its most difficult yet rewarding essence.
Riding the Viral Wave
So what launched Flappy Bird to such meteoric heights? Word of mouth went into overdrive after its release in 2013, with friends challenging each other to beat high scores. Buzz reached a fever pitch in early 2014. Flappy Bird dethroned titans like Candy Crush to become the #1 free app download in the Apple App Store. At its peak, Nguyen reported it was generating over $50,000 per day from in-app ads.
The addictive game was downloaded over 50 million times and amassed nearly 16 million tweets in its first month per Topsy data. For a brief moment, Flappy Bird became a global pop culture phenomenon. This shy Vietnamese developer had created the world‘s most popular mobile game.
But with fame came notoriety. Nguyen received criticism that the game was too addictive and becoming problematic. So at the height of its viral success, he abruptly removed Flappy Bird from app stores on February 10, 2014. And just like that…the bird was gone.
Paying Big Bucks for Bad Bird Games
Nguyen taking Flappy Bird down instantly turned devices with it already installed into prized collectibles. When new downloads dried up, people craved the game more than ever. A vibrant resale market emerged on eBay as sellers listed phones and tablets with Flappy Bird still available.
Bidding reached astronomical levels in the heat of the moment:
- iPhone 5S with Flappy Bird: Sold for $10,100
- iPad Air: Listed at $80,000 (unsold)
- iPhone 5S: Almost reached $100k before eBay removal
These extreme prices were largely speculative hype. As demand stabilized, resale values for Flappy Bird devices dropped to more reasonable figures:
| Device | Avg Flappy Bird Price | Avg Price without |
| iPhone 5S | $500 | $70 |
| iPhone 5C | $200 | $40 |
| iPhone 4S | $100 | $20 |
| iPad Air | $300 | $80 |
As you can see, having the discontinued app installed adds considerable collector premium.
"Flappy Bird represented a unique moment in app store history," says Mark Serrels, gaming journalist. "For diehard fans, owning it is like possessing a relic from a crazy cultural phenomenon."
Spreading Its Wings Through Pop Culture
The app‘s mythos permeated pop culture at its peak. Flappy Bird references appeared on sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory. Saturday Night Live spoofed the game in a skit. Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland got a Flappy Bird tattoo. NBA star LeBron James complained about its difficulty.
This enormous spotlight and shared experience contributed to Flappy Bird‘s nostalgic longevity. It represents a gaming experience everyone endured together, like Pac-Man or Tetris. Reliving it ignites fond memories.
Still Flying High Years Later
Initially written off as a passing fad, Flappy Bird surprisingly still holds appeal. Diehard players chase ever-higher scores. Collectors maintain devices housing the intact game like prized artifacts. Its minimalist aesthetic also retains retro appeal.
"Flappy Bird touched something timeless; people keep seeking it out," says games researcher Dr. Gail Carmichael. "It reminds us how something so simple and unadorned can still be meaningful."
For gaming devotees, having a fully functional Flappy Bird device is like preserving history. While values have settled from initial mania, interest remains sky high. This flightless bird will likely soar on for years to come. Wherever it lands price-wise, it has permanently etched its place in gaming lore.
