Flappy Bird: Jack Nelson rents out iPhone to addicts for $1 per minute
Mr Nelson posted an ad on Craigslist after trying to sell his iPhone in eBay
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Your support makes all the difference.A man is renting out his iPhone 5 for $1 (0.60p) a minute to Flappy Bird users desperate to continue playing the game, after its creator pulled it from online stores.
Over the past few days hundreds of smartphones installed with the addictive game have gone on sale on eBay for thousands to players desperate to get their hands on the game.
US-based Jack Nelson initially posted his phone on eBay with a starting bid price of $499.99, before his listing was pulled as the phone had not been restored to factory settings before going on sale.
In his post on Craigslist, he wrote: “Have you ever wanted to play the game Flappy Bird? Heard about it on TV or online? And who really wants to pay thousands of dollars to buy one of these pre-loaded phones? Pay a few bucks and rent my phone with the app installed for a much cheaper price!"
Mr Nelson told The Telegraph: ”On Craigslist there were many sellers attempting to sell their electronic devices at exorbitant prices". Instead of selling a device for $5,000+, I decided I would let people rent my device and play for $1 a minute. That way they could test out the game (and see how incredibly frustrating it is) instead of purchasing a very expensive, used device. In a way it's a 'try before you buy' model.“
Users will be invited to play the game in locations such as his home in Washington DC or in cafes such as Starbucks, where he can monitor his phone.
Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen spoke out earlier this week over his decision to pull the game from Android and iOS app stores, saying that it was an 'addictive product' that had become 'a problem.
He arrived at his decision over fears the game was becoming too addictive, saying: "Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed. But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem."
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