'I cannot take this anymore': Flappy Bird creator ditches popular smartphone app

The creator of the most popular free mobile game on the Apple app store has withdrawn it from sale, hinting that he could no longer handle the attention he received following its success.

Vietnamese developer Nguyen Ha Dong decided to pull his game Flappy Bird over the weekend, saying "I cannot take this anymore".

The simple smartphone game, which has also been downloaded 50 million times on Android phones, sees players trying to direct a flying bird around a series of green pipes.

Before it was removed today, the game was generating an estimated £30,000 per day in advertising.

Mr Dong told his 120,000 Twitter followers on Saturday it would be removed from the Apple and Google Play stores within 22 hours.

He tweeted: "I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore."

The Hanoi-based developer later denied suggestions that legal issues had led him to withdraw the game after rumours that Nintendo had sent him a warning letter.

He has previously said he was inspired by the Japanese game maker's Mario Bros when developing his own game.

He wrote: "It is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore."

He also rejected offers from those wanting to buy it from him.

"I also don't sell 'Flappy Bird', please don't ask," he said.

But he added that he would continue to develop apps, saying; "And I still make games."

Some fans have since been campaigning for Mr Dong to relaunch the game by tweeting with the hashtag #bringbackflappybird.

But the game creator has so far ignored requests for interviews since the weekend, international news agency Reuters reported.