Flappy Bird Is A Near Carbon Copy Of A Game Called Piou Piou

Posted Feb 8 2014 by Dylan Zellmer with 28 Comments

BhBl8SN

Word from Flappy Bird‘s developer maintains that keeping up with the game’s popularity is ruining his simple life. Therefore he’s removing it from digital distribution tomorrow. But the truth is, he may be in legal trouble. A game called Piou Piou has been on the market since 2011 and features the exact same game mechanics and close to the same design as Flappy Bird. It’s quite possible that Nguyen was made remove Flappy Bird from circulation.

We’ll make a feeble attempt at asking the developer if this assertion is true. Our next step would be to reach out to Piou Piou’s developer for more information.

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Dylan Zellmer

EIC at iGame Responsibly

Dylan splits time between games journalism, designing video games, and playing them. Outside of his deep involvement in the games industry, he enjoys It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Shameless, A Song of Ice and Fire, fitness, and family.

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ilovegoogleglass

lol looks similar
Hates bad writers.

Well I bet the maker of Piou Piou is happy. He’ll probably pick up some sales after Flappy Bird goes down, if it’s advertised right, and he can sue his ass for copying his game. Win win for that guy.
- Don Karam
  
  The maker of Piou Piou might not feel the need to sue the maker of Flappy Bird because ironically the existence of Flappy Bird might have inadvertently given Piou Piou the best publicity ever, leading to the best profit it has ever made.
  - Hates bad writers.
    
    I would, the dude made $50,000 odd dollars a day, that’s more than enough reasons for me to ride your ass in court.
Pingback: Flappy Bird A Rip Off! | SolidXter
David Brown

If Zynga lawsuits meant anything back in the day(recent history of the past few years), its that clone games are legal and such. On the otherhand, outright lifting Sprites of Pipes that Nintendo “Owns”… that may be a real legal thing to worry about.
Hates bad articles

flappy bird was not released in 2013.. it was released in 2003. The game just recently got popular that is all. there is no possible way that he could have gotten in legal trouble.. stupid article.
- MasterChief3624
  
  Flappy Bird was released in 2013… May 2013 according to AppShopper.
  - Ricardo J Varona
    
    Yup.
    - JonQDelancie
      
      You realize it was a flash game prior to coming to mobile right?
      - Ricardo J Varona
        
        I’ve actually been looking this up and I can only find remakes of the app, not an original flash game from 2003. If you have any evidence, I’d love to see it.
    - Donda
      
      retard
      - Ricardo J Varona
        
        Good points, but I think your argument isn’t quite infallible.
      - Donda
        
        LMAO i just noticed someone else called you a retard too.
      - U.N. Owen
        
        Excuse me, but – is there ANY particular reason you have a need to repeatedly call someone a name?
        
        As far as what one can see, NOWHERE does ANYONE say ANYTHING negative, much less anything negative TO, OR ABOUT YOU.
        
        Has someone done something to you – which ISN’T visible? If so, then you should take it up with them – DIRECTLY – either personally, or through THIS site’s ‘overlord,’ but, just repeatedly snapping ‘retard’ – and for NO apparent reason – is not only dumb, but, doesn’t put YOU in a flattering light.’
        
        Nonetheless, you keep barking!
      - Donda
        
        >repeatedly
        You’ve already lost there and I didn’t bother reading the rest. I only called him a name one time sir
- Ricardo J Varona
  
  2003, before iphones and androids were created?
- Dwight Flakus
  
  retard
brianc6234

I doubt he’s in any trouble. I doubt many people know about that game. There’s clones of games all over anyway.
Howard Katz

Can’t we just get along?…Hey wait it sounds a bit like a Mario game!!!
madbads

dat leap in graphics over 2 yrs
- U.N. Owen
  
  Just because one’s able to do something more ‘advanced,’ i.e., 3D graphics – does not always mean it’s ‘better.’
  
  Personally, I don’t play either of these things, but, just looking at the pics above, I think the 2D-styled graphics – in THIS case – are FAR superior to the 3D graphics.
  
  There’ve been MANY crappy 3D movies – w/ VERY FEW being…even ok.
  
  It’s what one does with the tools.
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U.N. Owen

YES – they DO look (almost) EXACTLY alike.

BUT (always a ‘but’)…

I forgot who said it – it was a LOOOONG time ago (ancient Greek, I believe), that there were only a finite number of story plots, and every plot was just a variation from there upon.

Same goes here – games.

There are only so many games, and the only ‘originality’ is in the look (and to a somewhat lesser extent – the play) of the game.

While I agree it look like Piou Piou, it also looks like pieces of Sonic The Hedgehog, and I’m sure there’re MANY others who could say it looks to them like ANOTHER game

So how far back in game history does one go back and draw the line of originality?