Microsoft Offers Refunds To Low-Def Minecraft Users

The Wooster

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Jul 15, 2008
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Microsoft Offers Refunds To Low-Def Minecraft Users


Minecraft's Xbox 360 description has been amended to show that split-screen is only available on HD TVs.

Gamers stuck with standard definition televisions have had a rough time with this console generation. Usually, the problem is tiny text which simply isn't readable [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9498-Press-X-to-Squint] on older televisions, but the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft has a more serious ailment: One of the advertised game features, split-screen play, simply doesn't work on SD TVs.

In response to irate customers making a stink about the issue, Microsoft has revised its listing for the game, and is offering a full refund to SD TV-owning gamers for whom the lack of split-screen is a deal-breaker.

"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 Microsoft rep told Kotaku. "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."

Now it's easy, and kind of satisfying, to brand SD TV-owners as stubborn Luddites clutching at hilariously outdated technology, but according to a recent survey by the Leichtman Research Group, around 30% of US households are still using SD TVs. Also, not all consoles are hooked up to the house's main television, and many younger gamers find themselves using hand-me-down SD TVs for their gaming. The same data indicates that close to 60% of the TVs currently in use in the US are not HD-capable.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5912095/microsoft-does-the-right-thing-offers-full-refunds-to-select-minecraft-gamers]

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Solstrana91

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Sep 4, 2004
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Don't have a HD TV at all, was disappointed when I hooked it up to play with my brother and I couldn't read a thing ;_;

EDIT: Im having a brain mess.
How exactly do I go for a refund?
Is it over my xbox, or can I do it online?
If so, how?
Cant find a specific link to message anyone, or any premade Microsoft link.
 

.No.

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Dec 29, 2010
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draythefingerless said:
Minecraft and HD shouldnt be in the same sentence.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/127377-16x-32x-64x-128x-256x12-lb-photo-realism-124-update-3292012/
Problem?
That's not even close to being as HD as it gets. There's 2048x2048 somewhere, but I can't be arsed to find it.
 

CardinalPiggles

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Jun 24, 2010
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Wow! I can honestly say I'm astonished by how many people still use SDTV's, I mean you could pick up a HDTV for only about £80 now right? Maybe less if you get it used.

.No. said:
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/127377-16x-32x-64x-128x-256x12-lb-photo-realism-124-update-3292012/
That texture pack makes Minecraft look like Dear Esther to me.
 

MagmaMan

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Apr 2, 2012
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I shouldn't be on the internet while half asleep. I believe I misunderstood some of this. Ignore this comment.
 

MagmaMan

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CardinalPiggles said:
Wow! I can honestly say I'm astonished by how many people still use SDTV's, I mean you could pick up a HDTV for only about £80 now right? Maybe less if you get it used.
When money is bad and your nice, large, SDTV works perfectly I can't see why. Wouldn't a nice bigger hard drive be more worth the money? Or food? Bills? Another video game? Frankly, the SDTV has served me and many other just find I can't say I give a fuck about the idea of upping the quality a bit.
 

Khravv

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Yeah... this happened to me. Sucked really. I personally could care less if it makes some text near unreadable, I never read the text in the game in the first place. I'd rather they give me the option of playing it and having it look bad instead of forcing me not to play the way I want.
 

draythefingerless

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Jul 10, 2010
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.No. said:
draythefingerless said:
Minecraft and HD shouldnt be in the same sentence.
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/127377-16x-32x-64x-128x-256x12-lb-photo-realism-124-update-3292012/
Problem?
That's not even close to being as HD as it gets. There's 2048x2048 somewhere, but I can't be arsed to find it.
Its funny cause youre telling a veteran alpha minecraft player with extensive mod history about this. :). Yes i know these, and you missed the point of what i said. Or youre just making a joke yourself. Btw, even with the mod, i wouldnt call the game HD...
 

The Artificially Prolonged

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Jul 15, 2008
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DVS BSTrD said:
Hehe, playing Minecraft somehow requires HD. Ah what a superficial and shallow age we live in.
My mind has been blown.

Good of microsoft to give refunds though. Now there is something I thought I'd never say.
 

CardinalPiggles

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Jun 24, 2010
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MagmaMan said:
CardinalPiggles said:
Wow! I can honestly say I'm astonished by how many people still use SDTV's, I mean you could pick up a HDTV for only about £80 now right? Maybe less if you get it used.
When money is bad and your nice, large, SDTV works perfectly I can't see why. Wouldn't a nice bigger hard drive be more worth the money? Or food? Bills? Another video game? Frankly, the SDTV has served me and many other just find I can't say I give a fuck about the idea of upping the quality a bit.
A bit? A bit? The difference is amazing

I get that money is an issue for some people, but seriously, if you can afford to buy a PC/console plus games plus internet connection then it shouldn't be that hard to get a HDTV. And seeing as they do tend to last a good few years, as opposed to games, it sounds like a good investment (in terms of useless crap) to me.

And by the way, I never said there is no reason for anyone to still be using an SDTV, I just said the number of people who did baffled me a bit.
 

MagmaMan

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Apr 2, 2012
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CardinalPiggles said:
MagmaMan said:
CardinalPiggles said:
Wow! I can honestly say I'm astonished by how many people still use SDTV's, I mean you could pick up a HDTV for only about £80 now right? Maybe less if you get it used.
When money is bad and your nice, large, SDTV works perfectly I can't see why. Wouldn't a nice bigger hard drive be more worth the money? Or food? Bills? Another video game? Frankly, the SDTV has served me and many other just find I can't say I give a fuck about the idea of upping the quality a bit.
A bit? A bit? The difference is amazing

I get that money is an issue for some people, but seriously, if you can afford to buy a PC/console plus games plus internet connection then it shouldn't be that hard to get a HDTV. And seeing as they do tend to last a good few years, as opposed to games, it sounds like a good investment (in terms of useless crap) to me.

And by the way, I never said there is no reason for anyone to still be using an SDTV, I just said the number of people who did baffled me a bit.
Hmm... how bad was your SDTV? Because mine is quite nice and I can even read the text in games such as Mass Effect 2 without too much problem. Same with Homefront. In fact the only game I still can not read some of the text no matter how hard I try is an indie game called CastleMiner Z, that thanks to Minecraft and it's tendency to corrupt saves I've spent months on, I don't play anymore. I've seen HDTVs and can't say I was impressed enough to want to fork over the money.
 

Fiad

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Apr 3, 2010
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I actually just recently got my HDTV. Before that I had a 20 inch SD box television. I did not have the money to upgrade. And frankly, I didn't really want to. I had better things to spend my money on. Only reason I have one now is because my neighbor's broke and they gave it to me and just bought a new one. I popped it open and fixed it up. All that was wrong was a broken transistor. If not for that I would still have that 20 inch SDTV.
 

FoolKiller

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Feb 8, 2008
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On top of this, all my older consoles look better on SD tv. So there's no getting rid of it. In fact, I'm worried about when TVs don't have the AV jacks anymore. It's already starting.

And finally MS does something correct about their refund policy. Glad to see that they're reasonable.