Have you noticed that you can’t play the 4-way offline multiplayer portion of Minecraft on the Xbox? You are among many who discovered this only to find out that the reason for it is you don’t have the required HDTV.
Minecraft for the Xbox 360 just hit the scene on Wednesday with huge success. It broke all kinds of sales records and even Notch gloated about the success on his Twitter account.
Unfortunately gamers started complaining that the 4 way split screen was not working. This was a huge disappointment being that this was one of the most anticipated features of playing Minecraft on the Xbox console. To add insult to injury, Microsoft stated that they will not be offering refunds.
It was a shock to many when on Thursday, 4J Studios came out and said the 4 way slit screen mode is only available when using HDMI or with component cables on HDTVs. Minecraft gamers were in an uproar about this because they claimed there was no warning that HDTV was required before purchasing the game. Many said they would not have purchased it if they knew.
There is a warning however that HDTV is required. It displays when playing in standard mode and displays on a pop up that reads: “If you play this game in high definition mode, you can have up to four players in split-screen on the same console!” The game listing on XBox Live Arcade also displays that the game’s local capabilities to include co-op 1-4, HDTV 720p but many gamers are saying this was not obvious.
If you are a Minecraft gamer that purchased Minecraft so you can play offline multiplayer, your only recourse at this point is to purchase a new HDTV. This may not be an option to gamers who can’t afford it or are on a tight budget.
Microsoft is responding with they can’t offer a refund because the gamers still have the license and the game works fine. So much for customer support. Keep in mind though that this is not the decision of Mojang or Notch but instead a decision Microsoft has put in place.
One gamer did manage to get Microsoft points by threatening for false advertisement. “Split screen requires an HD cable and your 360 set to at least 720p mode in system settings, there is no other way to do it at this time. I wound up threatening for false advertisement to get a refund and even then it was a refund in Xbox points,” the gamer states. Time will tell if other gamers make these same types of threats and will be give Microsoft points too.