Rumor Mill: Microsoft Ditching MS Points

[Andronicus]

Australia should (deservingly, is that a word?) be paying close to twice what Americans pay...

Wut? Why does Australia deserve to pay twice as much as Americans?

Also, if anybody actually believes that Australia will come out of this paying less than they already have been, I think they'll find they they're sorely mistaken. If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if we end up paying more.

 

[JayElleBee]

Just as long as I can still buy cards in store, rather than using a credit card. Because if I need to use a credit card to buy stuff then I guess I'll be missing out on a whole lot of DLC. :/

 

[zombieshark6666]

Rumor Mill: Microsoft Ditching MS Points

According to an unidentified source, Microsoft is looking to phase out its virtual currency system by the end of 2012.

The change would also answer the common criticism that the points system is, some say deliberately, misleading. Currently, in the states, one dollar equates into about 80 MSP rather than 100, as many customers assume.


Source: Inside Mobile Apps [http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2012/01/23/exclusive-microsoft-to-discontinue-its-virtual-currency-system-microsoft-points/]


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What? No one wants to know how much 100 points is worth, as that's useless.

1600 points/4 = 400 points
20$/4 = 5$

The pricing is pretty transparent in the US. It's everywhere else that it's annoying to get the number of points that you get to match what you actually want to buy.

 

[Akio91]

Don't care. Xbox LIVE is still the biggest scam of this generation.

 

[zombieshark6666]

Just as long as I can still buy cards in store, rather than using a credit card. Because if I need to use a credit card to buy stuff then I guess I'll be missing out on a whole lot of DLC. :/

Exactly, I'm not buying prepaid cards with an activation fee just to buy stuff on Live, no way.

 

[deathninja]

The PSN store has always been streets ahead of XBL marketplace in many ways, not least the real currency pricing. I think it would be a step forward in MS follows suit, though I doubt Nintendo would ever follow suit.

 

[zombieshark6666]

The PSN store has always been streets ahead of XBL marketplace in many ways, not least the real currency pricing. I think it would be a step forward in MS follows suit, though I doubt Nintendo would ever follow suit.

Not being to see prices or download size on the web is streets ahead?

 

[Ashley Blalock]

If Microsoft is really wanting to step up it's game into things like movie rentals or other forms of entertainment then they kind of need to drop the whole points system. I've considered buying videos before instead of paying for cable, but it's just too much of a pain in the butt to covert Microsoft points into money to figure out if the price is good or bad.

I noticed that the Vudu app doesn't even bother with Mircosoft points but lists the price in actual dollars it would cost to rent a movie.

 

[Trivun]

This seems okay to me, and sensible, except for one major question I want answered. Does this mean that users will need to use their actual debit or credit card to buy things through XBLA if this happens? Because I flat out refuse to have my debit card details attached to my XBL account, and always buy points in shops using cash to avoid it. Basically, I don't trust Microsoft's security, since anyone could hack in no matter how good their security is. I don't expect it to happen, but then who expected it with Sony a while ago? And I enjoy browsing the Marketplace and buying new content and games on there, so I don't want to have to sacrifice that purely for the sake of keeping my financial information safe from potential hackers. If Microsoft can answer me that then great, otherwise I'm taking this news with the wary concern it may well deserve.

 

[Suboptimal]

If this means, that MS starts using a card system like Sony with their PSN cards, or Apple with their iTunes cards i wouldn´t mind. I don´t use my creditcard for transactions like this, so i really "need" those cards. Or maybe MS has something completely different in mind?

 

[karloss01]

If this means, that MS starts using a card system like Sony with their PSN cards, or Apple with their iTunes cards i wouldn´t mind. I don´t use my creditcard for transactions like this, so i really "need" those cards. Or maybe MS has something completely different in mind?

Same here, I don't trust credit cards in general so the points are the way i go. as long as i'm able to buy cards in store to up my Live or PSN wallet i'm happy.

 

[dubious_wolf]

Thank Christ. Completely useless.

 

[dubious_wolf]

Just don't "store" your credit card. Individual purchases aren't stored, (that's illegal, at least in the US) So buy things one at a time. That will also help prevent you from over spending.

 

[Woodsey]

I never understood the whole alternate currency thing. All it does it make purchases inconvenient. People will always buy more stuff if it's convenient to.

It just meant they could grab more money from you.

 

[Epona]

So why the silly rumor games?

Rumor says the next TES game to be called Skyrim and has dragons!
Rumor says 3DS to get a second analog nub attachment!

Really, why not just come out and say "We are getting rid of Microsoft Points". The unidentified source is no doubt Microsoft themselves. Why the silly game?

 

[deathninja]

Not being to see prices or download size on the web is streets ahead?

Both show up in the store when you select something, unless you mean not using the console?

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Oh, great. Now we'll get to see how overpriced everything is - beyond the Games on Demand section.

That addition was great on Microsoft's part, but the pricing still pisses me off. So there's this game that's almost six years old I should pay forty bucks for in order to have it digitally delivered to my console, when I can find a physical copy of the same fucking product at half-price or less?

Sorry, Microsoft, I think you're breaking up. Can't hear you all that well underneath all the money-fondling sounds...

My guess is dollar rates for everything else would be fairly disadvantageous for the customer. Even two bucks for some Avatar Marketplace schtick is too expensive for my tastes, and I'm fairly sure they'll take the occasion to charge DLC packs at least fifteen bucks.

That's one less reason for me to boot up my Xbox...

 

[ssgt splatter]

If this does happen, it will be very interesting to see what happens to the current MSP that people have on their accounts.
I have <100 or so, so I wouldn't really care if they phased out my points without giving me my money back, but what about people who have thousands of points on their accounts?
Converting these back to dollary-doos will be a clusterfuck that I would love to see.

You raise a fair point. I have over 7000 points left.

 

[godofallu]

That would be nice, the point system is a huge scam which should have been illegal.

Want this 5.50 game? Too bad ***** the lowest you can buy in order to get this game is 10 dollars!