Fully Charged: Flappy Bird back in August with multiplayer, Superhot burning up on Kickstarter, and Xbox Live refunds after app restrictions dropped
Get your morning fix with our roundup of quick-hit news blasts
Flappy Bird returning in August with multiplayer
Head-scratching mobile sensation Flappy Bird came out of nowhere, blew up quickly and spectacularly, and then was pulled by its creator who stressed over its addictive qualities. However, an eventual return was promised—not that it’s totally necessary, considering the endless number of clones out there—and it seems that it’ll be more of a rebirth than anything.
According to tweets by CNBC staffers who spoke with creator Dong Nguyen, Flappy Bird is set to return in August with a new multiplayer angle—which he claims will be less addictive than before. Multiplayer support is usually added to games to make them even more addictive, so we’ll have to see that one to believe it ourselves.
[Source: The Verge]
Superhot blazing new trails for first-person shooters
Tired of middling military shooters? Superhot takes a unique shot at the first-person shooter genre, in that the action only occurs when you physically move through the world—which itself looks like Mirror’s Edge viewed through the lens of Frozen Synapse. You’ll have to find each limited-ammo firearm and use them sparingly to get through the world.
Like many of the most creatively interesting indie games in recent memory, Superhot started as a quickly produced game jam idea (and that concept version is available free online). However, it’ll soon be made into a full, premium release for PC, Mac, and Linux, and the development team is seeking funding via Kickstarter.
In its first day on the crowdfunding site, Superhot has already amassed more than 4,000 backers and US$90,000 in pledges with a funding goal of just US$100,000—which means it’ll more than likely be backed by the time you read this. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from getting in early: a US$14 pledge gets you a full copy of the game in about a year, while US$40 allows for beta access a few months sooner.
READ MORE: Kill your productivity: Stuff’s top 30 free browser games
Microsoft offering Xbox Live refunds after lifting app restrictions
One of the least-sensical differences between Sony and Microsoft’s console offerings in recent years has been the fact that Xbox 360 (and later Xbox One) owners had to pay for an Xbox Live Gold membership in order to use services like Netflix—which can be accessed from pretty much every other kind of device without that extra charge. Luckily, Microsoft finally came to its senses this week and announced that such restrictions will be lifted in June.
For anyone that maintained an Xbox Live Gold membership primarily to use such apps, you’ll soon be able to apply for a prorated refund on your subscription—so long as you file the request by 31 August. No need to keep paying for the service unless you’re actually playing games online. If you fall into that camp, don’t forget to send in your request next month.
[Source: Time]
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Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
