Now that the trending game Flappy Bird’s popularity has begun to die down after being removed from the App store and Google Play, let’s ask the question that’s probably been on all of our mind’s since we hit the download button. Why on earth do these dreaded games gain so much popularity in the first place?
We’ve all raged over not being to succeed at a game before, but why do we continue to come back to it and try again, instead of moving on? The reason is simply because it’s human nature. Once there’s an element of competition, it’s nearly impossible not to react and try to beat yours or someone else’s high score. We strive to one-up each other all the time and when we succeed, we are given that short period of being allowed to brag about our accomplishment.
When we lose the game or get a low score (which in Flappy Bird is not at all hard to do), it makes the sensation of winning so much more enjoyable and gives you that brief sensation of triumph and confidence. The game play keeps players engaged and does not require much strategy to win, making it simple and fun. The perfect amount of stress, adrenaline, competition and occasional success is what makes these games so addicting. That is, until, in my case, you’ve come to the realization that you have just wasted an hour trying to pilot a fictional bird through pipes instead of doing anything productive, which might also why there are so many people happy to see that it’s no longer available for download.
