> Good news, haters of arbitrary online currencies! The end for Microsoft’s confusing “Points” system may be near, if a report on Inside Mobile Apps is to be believed.
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> The mobile site claims that Microsoft’s Points will be “phased out” by the end of 2012, with transactions to be listed in a user’s local currency instead.
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> The move wouldn’t just impact Xbox Live, it would affect the Zune Marketplace and Windows Phone users as well.
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> One has to wonder, given the timing of the (potential and unconfirmed) move, whether the spate of Xbox Live account break-ins is behind the change.
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> We’ve contacted Microsoft for comment, and will update if we hear back.
Now you may wonder why this is such a good thing, well put it like this, the options you get for Microsoft Points right now are horribly shabby, you could buy a 2100 Point Card, buy two map packs at 800 and be stuck with 500 MS Points, you spend 400 on an Arcade game, then you are left with 100 with nothing to spend it on, even with a Credit Card, you are stuck using a silly Microsoft Point System unless buying a game off Games on Demand, with MS Points gone, you can finally just spend money straight from your card and not have to put up with left over points you can’t spend.
Sadly, this will happen near the end of 2012 if it is true, but I suppose it is better late than never, and in my opinion, a good move forward in Xbox’s terms.
This does leave me thinking though, what will become of Xbox LIVE Rewards, will it be scrapped or changed entirely?
> >Reliable
> >Kotaku
>
> Regardless. I doubt it. I see no real reason why they’d do it.
Right now I am sitting with 860 MS points in my account, once those 800 are gone on some sort of Arcade game or DLC, I will be stuck with 60, now what am I honestly meant to spend that on?
The point is I am forced to buy more than I want, even with a debit/credit card.
Read this at another site as well, if they do strip them I just hope there’s still a way to buy pre-paid cards, as I don’t trust my MS account not to be hacked.
> > >Reliable
> > >Kotaku
> >
> > Regardless. I doubt it. I see no real reason why they’d do it.
>
> Right now I am sitting with 860 MS points in my account, once those 800 are gone on some sort of Arcade game or DLC, I will be stuck with 60, now what am I honestly meant to spend that on?
>
> The point is I am forced to buy more than I want, even with a debit/credit card.
Avatar items. Hehe.
Seriously though. Generally if you have a small amount of points left you’ll buy something completely useless (In my experience anyway). I would imagine Microsoft would make a bit of money because of that.
The point system isn’t that bad, I’d much rather pay with points from a prepaid card rather than direct it straight to my bank account. It really doesn’t make that big of a difference.
> > > >Reliable
> > > >Kotaku
> > >
> > > Regardless. I doubt it. I see no real reason why they’d do it.
> >
> > Right now I am sitting with 860 MS points in my account, once those 800 are gone on some sort of Arcade game or DLC, I will be stuck with 60, now what am I honestly meant to spend that on?
> >
> > The point is I am forced to buy more than I want, even with a debit/credit card.
>
> Avatar items. Hehe.
>
> Seriously though. Generally if you have a small amount of points left you’ll buy something completely useless (In my experience anyway). I would imagine Microsoft would make a bit of money because of that.
I leave it sitting there, in my opinion its just a waste, if I buy an Avatar Item, I tend to just get a free one in a month or two from being an Xbox Ambassador.
I would prefer to have a card linked and not have to buy MS Points via a card, its such a silly system.
> What’s confusing about the points system, that 80 points is equal to a dollar? Did this kind of math in my sleep in physics.
The problem isn’t that. It’s that after you buy something, you have some left that can only be spent on useless things that you wouldn’t buy normally. It’s a waste of money sometimes.
This would take a lot of work to make the changes for this so if they do this there could possibly be a couple of hours or days without anything being bought in the marketplace for maitenance.
> > What’s confusing about the points system, that 80 points is equal to a dollar? Did this kind of math in my sleep in physics.
>
> The problem isn’t that. It’s that after you buy something, you have some left that can only be spent on useless things that you wouldn’t buy normally. It’s a waste of money sometimes.
Well, if they removed the Points it sure would make it harder to buy/sell points al low prices, and hence increase MS profit (no/few pre-paid cards = no black/grey/second hand market= more money to MS).
On the other hand, you’ll probably have to add a credit card, just like you have to do to be able to buy games for your Windows Phone
In a few months after the change we’ll have the PSN issues all over again I’m afraid
What’s wrong with points?
80 points = 1$, and it’s got roughly the same value world wide despite currencies changing, the $$ getting weaker and such. I bet it’s just because they want to increase the prices or make it easier to match PSN-prices, since “thinking in point” might be too difficult/advanced for their new targeted audience (casuals, kids)
> If this happens, I hope they’ll still keep prepaid cards.
i know a few people who lost a good amount of money threw the MS store online and never got it back. But yeah wise idea with sticking with prepaid, i will keep that in mind!
