Slammed with complaints over how it failed to warn gamers that the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft won't run in splitscreen for all customers, Microsoft is revising its listing for the game and offering a refund to customers who paid for a game that didn't work the way they expected it to.
"We updated our pre-sale notification to inform customers that an HD screen is required for the split-screen multiplayer feature on Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition," a company spokesperson told Kotaku over e-mail. "If a player does not have an HD screen and purchased this game prior to the notification update, they are eligible for a full refund through customer support."
Microsoft is the publisher for the download-only game.
While split-screen is one of the coolest things about the Xbox 360 version—you can can enjoy crafting alongside their friends via local split-screen multiplayer—it hadn't been clear on Microsoft's digital Xbox storefront until now that the option wasn't available to everyone who bought the $20 game. You could only activate split-screen if you had an HDTV with an HDMI input—standard-definition gamers were unable to take advantage of one of the game's best features.
The HD requirement wasn't listed in on the game's Xbox marketplace page, leading many gamers to buy the game hoping to play with their friends only to find that they were unable to. Some got refunds, but others did not.
Indeed, checking the Xbox Live product page reveals an updated description ending with the notification that "To experience split-screen functionality a high-definition television is required."
Good on ya, Microsoft.