The zombie Flappy bird saga gets even weirder: "The game will never feature NFTs, but it has Web3 features. You can only play it via Telegram which isn't great."

The Flappy bird comeback announced earlier in the month was a little unfortunate on the surface. "A new group of passionate fans committed" to sharing the game "with the world" may sound innocent enough, but the lack of involvement from the creator Dong Nguyen was not to be overlooked. The group's acquisition, according senior editor Rich Stanton, of the Flappy Bird trademark, had "a slight scent of skullduggery". Legally acceptable, but perhaps a little dubious.

In the weeks that followed, questions were raised about the game's NFT status. The Flappy Bird Foundation (as the group is called) did not address the issue in a Twitter "clear the air," post last week which focused solely on the trademark purchase. It's finally happened, but I'm more confused than ever. In a recent tweet, the Flappy Bird people say that players will be able to "use Web3 features" and also promise that "the game won't have NFTs."

"Web3" is a catch-all phrase for a future internet built on blockchain, perhaps with some cryptocurrency integration. The Harvard Business Review describes "Web3" as "a convenient acronym for the project to rewire how the web functions, using blockchain to transform how information is shared, owned, and stored." While the Canadian Web3 Council states that it "uses Blockchain technology, like the one used behind cryptocurrencies, in order to create a fair and open internet where users can have more control over their online activities and data." You get the idea now: it's Blockchain.

Flappy Bird's integration of Web3 technology and its rejection of NFTs is not made clear. It's possible that the term NFT has become radioactive. Despite the best efforts of celebrities and Ubisoft in the past, NFTs have not been a big hit. It's still a confusing issue without clarification from the Flappy Bird Foundation. And so far, that clarity hasn't been forthcoming.

While NFTs are out, cryptocurrency remains. Web3 wallets are not required to play, but as BlockchainGamer.biz noted, Flappy Bird relaunched in conjunction with a "Flap a TON" event which allowed players to mint "Flappy Tokens" on Telegram TON (The Open Network).

What a great community note!

Telegram is the only place where you can play Flappy Bird, which is a big red flag for me. The platform is popular with everything from right-wing extreme groups to illegal pornographers to drug kingpins. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested in August by French authorities, faces charges that include "complicity with the organized gang's distribution of child pornographic images, drug trafficking and organized gang fraud as well as criminal conspiracy to commit crimes."

Overall, it's a bad picture: A trademark was stolen from its owner, brought back to live with much fanfare, but no mention of the new crypto foundations. It's also only playable through a social networking site that's popular among the Proud Boys, Patriot Front, and other groups. There is no evidence that any wrongdoing has occurred. It may be as it appears: mindless screen-tapping by those who want to make a bird flap and token grinding by those in the crypto scene. The two groups will never meet. It all feels a bit greasy right now, and the Flappy Bird Foundation’s slow-drip of incomplete information doesn't help.

I've contacted the Flappy Bird Foundation to get more information. I will update this post if I hear back.