Point Scam Costs Microsoft $1.2 Million

[Antari]

1.2 million .. so roughly about 30 minutes of their operational costs. If that. Not really going to shed any tears. Just suprised it took this long for someone to figure out the key.

 

[Jodah]

I don't support the actions of the exploiters but I don't see how Microsoft could punish anyone. Whos to say if someone didn't get a dozen cards from different people for a birthday or something and happened to enter them on the same day. They stopped them but I think thats gunna be the end of this.

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

Hold the phone for a second!

There was a way to cheat Microsoft out of free points and some Twat posted it on the Internet???

*Facepalmz*

Captcha="points Aboursha"... lol

 

[aPod]

The hacker's should be caught, the people who stole the money should be dealt with but Microsoft needs to cut it out with the microsoft points bullshit. That is a fucking scam too.

 

[Baresark]

My argument aside. Why do people defend this point system. Explain to me how points are equal or better than just using strait money. My room mate, he needs more MS Points, so he punches in his CC number and buys more. Then they are converted from money to points which he always has some floating around anyway. I want to buy a game on PSN, I put in my CC number and pay the exact amount for it.

Not if you're trying to get a $0.99 avatar or a $1.99 sackboy costume. Then you have to give Sony $5, no matter what. Granted, I will agree that it's great that you can pay the exact amount if your purchase total is over $5, but it's still bullshit that I have to pay $5 if I'm not buying $5 worth of stuff. Save this "wallet" crap for child accounts so that parents can manage how much money they want their kids to have, but for big boys, let us only pay $1.99 if our total is only $1.99.

In my ignorance, I was unaware of such things. So I guess it's exactly the same thing as points in that respect. I have never purchased anything for less than $5, so, I digress and concede that PSN and XBL have similar rackets, haha. But, in either case we are still left to buy more than what we need. I guess I just found another reason to keep Steam as a golden example of honest business practices.

 

[Smooth Operator]

My argument aside. Why do people defend this point system. Explain to me how points are equal or better than just using strait money. My room mate, he needs more MS Points, so he punches in his CC number and buys more. Then they are converted from money to points which he always has some floating around anyway. I want to buy a game on PSN, I put in my CC number and pay the exact amount for it. It's the same thing with Steam.

It's better for MS(which they know all too well), as it was long ago proven if you change a value people have a firm grasp of into an abstract they can't quickly connect it will most likely be ignored, and people ignoring monetary value when buying stuff... it's a salesman dream come true.

OT: Oh my 1.2 mil, that's almost worth mentioning.

 

[MasterWhatever]

This...is...HILARIOUS!!!! I think we can all agree that MS needs to start using real money. It works for psn. oh well, still funny though.

 

[RA92]

Console modding, used game sales, point scams... and still you console peasants can't compete with our piracy. The Master Race leaves you in the dust again...

 

[RA92]

Uh, double post.

 

[RA92]

Shit! Triple post!

 

[Deshin]

My argument aside. Why do people defend this point system. Explain to me how points are equal or better than just using strait money. My room mate, he needs more MS Points, so he punches in his CC number and buys more. Then they are converted from money to points which he always has some floating around anyway. I want to buy a game on PSN, I put in my CC number and pay the exact amount for it. It's the same thing with Steam.

Also, most isn't all. By your own admission there are things that do not fit into this point system. And what does penny pinching have to do with any of it? I know you are simply seeking to be insulting, but even you can see there are flaws in this system. It's literally completely irresponsible to not worry about money. Not all of us have money that we can just throw at things without worry about where the next check comes from.

And for people without Credit Cards? It's a top-up service which you can buy over-the-counter. It's logical it'll come in standardised increments and the DLC they put up is reflective of this. Take me for example, I don't "officially" live within a region that Microsoft supports (Malta) so my credit card wouldn't be accepted because it doesn't match my account's nationality. There's a similar issue in place with PS3s and the PSN to while PS3 owners on the island don't get any DLC, I sit back with my silly xbox point system and play Castle Crashers. Which system is flawed again?

(though I agree about Steam getting it right)

EDIT: What I'm saying is region locked consoles which require strict regional accounts and security should not be dictated by CC transactions only when they throw a tizwoz if your account/creditcard/ip don't all match. Shouldn't effectively bar people for emigrating now should we?

 

[Baresark]

snip

And for people without Credit Cards? It's a top-up service which you can buy over-the-counter. It's logical it'll come in standardised increments and the DLC they put up is reflective of this. Take me for example, I don't "officially" live within a region that Microsoft supports (Malta) so my credit card wouldn't be accepted because it doesn't match my account's nationality. There's a similar issue in place with PS3s and the PSN to while PS3 owners on the island don't get any DLC, I sit back with my silly xbox point system and play Castle Crashers. Which system is flawed again?

(though I agree about Steam getting it right)

EDIT: What I'm saying is region locked consoles which require strict regional accounts and security should not be dictated by CC transactions only when they throw a tizwoz if your account/creditcard/ip don't all match. Shouldn't effectively bar people for emigrating now should we?

You can also buy cards at store locations that are redeemable in the PSN store. It's like a gift card. I know the system has it's uses. I just completely disagree with how they run it. It wouldn't be bad if they didn't have things on XBL that cost odd numbers of points. That is really my only gripe with the system. If everything cost some denomination that was either a point card value or was a divisible amount that resulted in not having left over points, that is where the system would not be a ripoff for some things. I did only find out today, thanks to a post here, that you have to buy a minimum amount of $5 worth of account credit, so PSN is no better.

On a happy note, I heard they are making a version of Steam for consoles. Everyone wins there.

Region locking is a hassle. I wanted to buy a gift for my girlfriend who was doing a school semester in London, and what a headache that turned into. In order to not get killed on shipping, I ordered through Amazon.uk only to have a huge headache trying to get the transaction to go through. In regards to what we are talking about, region locking consoles is completely stupid. All it does is prevent people from having access to a systems whole library. Not that everyone speaks every language, but I think you understand what I am saying.

 

[Optional Opinion]

1.2 million is pocket change for a corporation like that, big whoop.

What does it matter if it's only "pocket change".

I would be pissed off if you stole my pocket change.

We are no longer children nor are we ruled by Freud's 'Id', we cannot expect to be able to take what we want. It's theft and I hope those committing the offence are punished, but I doubt they will see any repercussions.

Maybe I'm a hypocrite and maybe the only reason I am pissed off is because I actually pay for the points and all these people are getting them for free.

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm pissed off.

 

[TechJunky9998]

the free microsoft points sites are usually not scams though, all they do is advertise the get points to sites where you can actually get ms points as i've done many times

 

[Deshin]

You can also buy cards at store locations that are redeemable in the PSN store. It's like a gift card. I know the system has it's uses. I just completely disagree with how they run it. It wouldn't be bad if they didn't have things on XBL that cost odd numbers of points. That is really my only gripe with the system. If everything cost some denomination that was either a point card value or was a divisible amount that resulted in not having left over points, that is where the system would not be a ripoff for some things. I did only find out today, thanks to a post here, that you have to buy a minimum amount of $5 worth of account credit, so PSN is no better.

On a happy note, I heard they are making a version of Steam for consoles. Everyone wins there.

Region locking is a hassle. I wanted to buy a gift for my girlfriend who was doing a school semester in London, and what a headache that turned into. In order to not get killed on shipping, I ordered through Amazon.uk only to have a huge headache trying to get the transaction to go through. In regards to what we are talking about, region locking consoles is completely stupid. All it does is prevent people from having access to a systems whole library. Not that everyone speaks every language, but I think you understand what I am saying.

I hear ya man, but it's still silly to say that because if you're even semi serious about your gaming you'll spend those leftover points eventually anyway. If I buy a 1200 card to buy an 800 point game I'll do that then probably spend the other 400 on DLC a week later, if the DLC is 560 I'll buy another 1200 card, pay the 560, have 1140 leftover. Like sure I have stuff leftover but it will eventually be spent so nothing's ever "lost" in that regard.

I agree that being frugal is a virtue, but am I really that hard up that I find it an afront by paying an extra five quid *now* instead of in a month's time when I plan on using it?

 

[Worgen]

So the threads on 4chan were real? But seeing as I'm a Ps3 gamer it doesn't really matter to me, but still, you've got to admire the ingenuity of hackers these days.

damn, I wish I saw those

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

My argument aside. Why do people defend this point system. Explain to me how points are equal or better than just using strait money. My room mate, he needs more MS Points, so he punches in his CC number and buys more. Then they are converted from money to points which he always has some floating around anyway. I want to buy a game on PSN, I put in my CC number and pay the exact amount for it. It's the same thing with Steam.

It's to make things easier across different countries with different currencies. Rather than having to come-up with 50 different prices for every single product for each country, they can just assign a flat Point value to the product and only have to worry about pricing the points. That way, rather than having to price hundreds of products across multiple currencies, they just need to worry about balancing the cost for each point.

 

[Phishfood]

The reason you are limited to $5 transactions or buying "points" is because a cc transaction costs money. Thus, if you were to credit an acount with $.01 it would cost ms more in the transaction than you just gave them. Its a big problem in all retail, there is a cost to having money too - you need a safe, someone to come with a van to pick up/drop off and then all the risk of it being stolen....

Ok, having accounts with "points" rather than currency does seem an extra step, on the other hand since we are talking a worldwide service perhaps having a universal fictitious currency sits better than forcing people to work out how many US$ are to this week.