Retiring from Flight Control

I just uninstalled it from my iPhone, and am officially retiring from Flight Control (iTunes link). It was a great four month career, I tell ya. I wanted to go out at the top of my game, and on my own terms. Despite its minimal $4.99 price tag (I think that was the price when it first came out), it has cost me much more in terms of lost bets against friends (~$20), sleepless nights, hour long stops to the restroom, and lost productivity.

As with many situations like this, I don't remember exactly how I was introduced to FlightControl. For all I know, it just magically showed up on my iPhone, as if the iPhone game fairy magically came out of the sky to install it for me without my knowledge. At least that's what I'd like to believe.

But what I do remember was the exact turning point of when I became an addict.

What started out as a "friendly" competition between my buddy Ray and I quickly escalated into an epic battle. We gave each other set hours to beat each other's scores, and when one couldn't best the other, they owed a dollar.

But it was more of a battle of ego instead of money, because no amount of money could replace the feeling of disrupting someone else's life by forcing them to try to top your score.

Although my retirement wasn't official until today, I've known for some time that this was the right decision to make. I just didn't have it in me anymore. To fill the void left by FlightControl, I've recently taken up Pilates, and have taken a keen interest in TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8. Fortunately, I won't be the only one coping with the post game-retirement blues, as TUAW's very own C-Mac will be holding her own retirement ceremony later this week for Hell's Kitchen (iTunes link) as well.

Are there any games on your iPhone or iPod touch that you've become addicted to? Tell us in the comments, and let us know if you kicked the habit.

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I just uninstalled it from my iPhone, and am officially retiring from Flight Control (iTunes link). It was a great four month career, I...

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Drew

If you don't want to read the article, just click "Next" on your RSS Reader. Pretty simple fix there.

June 26 2009 at 1:16 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

rwdebes

i just hope he dont write about every app he retire playing on his iphone..

June 26 2009 at 12:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

rwdebes

this is the stupidiest post ever read at tuaw...
who cares if you "retire" playing flight control ? you should retire writing here.

June 26 2009 at 12:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gunnar

Senseless posts like this make me look for other sources for Mac related news. I take it authors of Weblogs Inc. get paid for each article, well this one was another low point for TUAW.

June 26 2009 at 10:07 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Baumann

Tiger Woods ftw. I managed -50 at Doral on the tour. It's either impressive or ridiculously not. You decide.

June 26 2009 at 8:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

lee

I purchased flight control to see what all the 'hoohah' was about.. I thought the game was absolutely boring. Scramble on the other hand is entertaining. But games on the iPhone is nothing to get excited by... If Billings 3 came to the appstore, that would get my attention.

hmm how boring do I sound.. "oO an invoicing application is soooo exciting compared to games!"

June 26 2009 at 3:38 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Liam Cole

I also think flight control is growing old but it was fantastic i its day! :)

June 25 2009 at 7:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Matthew Snodgrass

147 was my top score on my old iPhone. Now that I have the 3G S, I had to start all over. 102 is my new high score. So right about longer trips to the loo.

June 25 2009 at 6:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pjones

Fieldrunners, hands-down my biggest time-waster. Up three hours past "ok I'm really going to bed this time" time-waster.

June 25 2009 at 6:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

utterer

So what did this have to do with Apple and the industry around it again? Shouldn't this be reserved for your Twitter or MySpace blog?

June 25 2009 at 5:38 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply