Microsoft to phase out Microsoft Points by end of the year - report

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 24 January, 2012

Transactions to be based on region set on purchasing account.

Microsoft will phase out its Microsoft Points system by the end of the year, according to a new report.

The change will affect developers of apps for Windows Phone, the Zune Marketplace and Xbox Live, Inside Mobile Apps reports.

By the end of the year, according to the report, transactions will be based on the region set on the purchasing account, using real money.

Microsoft's current system sees gamers use real world cash to buy virtual currency - Microsoft Points - which are then used to buy games, movies and other products through the Xbox Marketplace.

Microsoft declined to comment on the report.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (141) Latest comment 4 weeks ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • TheJuriel #1 1 month ago

    So, will this mean europeans are still paying more than US people, so we should all just create new US accounts? Or does it mean they'll actually use *gasp* current exchange rates?

  • Zomoniac #2 1 month ago

    Well it does make sense, but if this means the end of being able to get £18 of purchasing currency for under £15 then arsebiscuits.

  • Kano-11 #3 1 month ago

    Microsoft points were always a con. Just another shameful money grabbing tactic. I think i speak for most people when i say I'll be glad to see the back of them.

  • paulf #4 1 month ago

    and what's going to happen to points you have in your account? In fact there's so many implications to this I'm gonna call bullshit !

  • Derblington #5 1 month ago

    I'd like to see them enable you to change your account region so that expats could actually benefit from this, among other changes.

  • MaxiSleep #6 1 month ago

    Good move, Transparancy helps!

  • Ferral #7 1 month ago

    Good idea, only downside will be if they decide to say charge $25 for something on the American store then go charging £25 on the UK store for example. So we could end up paying more for the same thing.

    GOG do it right, if a game is $5.99 then it uses the current exchange rate so the titles priced at that point are about £4. Hopefully Microsoft will do the same thing.

  • mr_bez #8 1 month ago

    @Zomoniac - you can still get cheap PSN vouchers if you look around online, even though they're real currency.

    @PaulF - I imagine they'll set an exchange rate and convert the points in your account to an amount in pounds or euros. Doesn't sound that complicated to me.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #9 1 month ago

    Wonder if this has been pressure from 3rd party studios, so they can get parity pricing for there games across all download services. So they can set there own prices, instead of having to choose from set point increments.

  • Brownstudy #10 1 month ago

    Post deleted at 08:59:23 24-01-2012

  • Histeria #11 1 month ago

    Given that we've had a good deal with exchange rates of points, and good deals getting points cards cheap in supemarkets/amazon, I can't see this benefitting UK customers at all. Shame.

  • asphaltcowboy #12 1 month ago

    This is terrible news!

    Say goodbye to discounted points cards, say goodbye to buying stuff from other regions, say hello to bad currency conversion rates (they won't be in our favour), having to have a credit card tied to your account and possibly a fracturing of the marketplace (like PSN, where games do not come out in all regions at the same time for the same "price";).

    Having to do a simple calculation of points to pounds is a small price to pay but as usual, all the dumb-dumbs won't realise what they've got til it's gone...

    /sings Big Yellow Taxi
    Edited by 2 at 24/01/12 @ 09:02

  • NodNolan #13 1 month ago

    Games on demand is currently priced in currency by region rather than MSP. In the UK we end up paying at least 25% more than the US.

    people outside the US should only support Microsoft scrapping MSP. If you want to end up paying 25% more for DLC and arcade titles too.

  • Bonkers_Billy #14 1 month ago

    This is because people are removing payment methods linked to there account due to account hacking and buying point codes online or pre-paid cards. It does not matter to me personally, as I can not find anything to buy with the new Xbox metro dash!

  • frazzl #15 1 month ago

    I see this as a way of stopping people from buying games using an XBLA account set for a different region. Not a good change at all if this is the case :(.

  • arcam #16 1 month ago

    I assume it's because they want to harmonise Xbox Live with Windows Phone 7 and Windows 8. It may OK for console users to spend points, but I imagine it's a harder sell for mobile or desktop.

  • linksdad #17 1 month ago

    This wont happen for the simple reason that MS dont give refunds. If you pay in cash it doesnt matter whether MS gives refunds or not, your credit card company will. Distance selling regs will probably also come into play.
    One last thing, how many millions of pounds worth of points are languishing in accounts waiting to be spent?

  • rudedudejude #18 1 month ago

    Real money! omfg what a concept!

    Maybe something to do with the fact the points system works out worse for the consumer with all of the billions of leftover points in the world?

  • TheLastProphet #19 1 month ago

    I hope this isn't the case, I buy my points from a guy who advertises on Gumtree-£20 for 4200 points!

  • beatwolf #20 1 month ago

    not good i think. Currently i have a very cheap supplier of microsoft points, this will undoubtedly mean i will have to pay way more for arcade games etc.

  • duckmouth #21 1 month ago

    @TheLastProphet Link?

  • Gaiduku #22 1 month ago

    As long as games stay "roughly" the same price this is a good thing. However if and XBLA game goes from £6 - £10 then no they're taking the piss.

  • ZuluHero #23 1 month ago

    People are going to moan when 1200 just becomes £12, 800 becomes £8.

  • arcam #24 1 month ago

    @TheLastProphet Sounds legit.

  • miiiguel #25 1 month ago

    Shame, I like the points systems, one could shop online for cheap packages. Was getting used to real money on Live though, WP7 Live system doesn't use points, and translates dolars to pounds/euro fairly enough.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 09:22

  • 43n1m4 #26 1 month ago

    I'm backing this move.

  • X201 #27 1 month ago

  • Po1ymorph #28 1 month ago

    Post deleted at 09:54:53 24-01-2012

  • miiiguel #29 1 month ago

    I don't believe it's due to what gammesprogramer said, WP7 Live games, for example, use only real money but there are set point increments in pricing: 2.49; 3.99 and 5.39. I blame the whiners, and the pirates.
    Edited by 2 at 24/01/12 @ 09:43

  • Stuz359 #30 1 month ago

    This is going to be like the introduction of the Euro. Everything is going to be rounded up and everything will end up being more expensive.

    Still, I always thought points were, erm, pointless and just provided an extra barrier between me buying stuff.

  • Lunatic4ever #31 1 month ago

    This points system is crap.
    Good to see that Microsoft finally noticed it,too.

    After how many years?

  • miiiguel #32 1 month ago

    They could implement a dual system, one using real money, and one for people who could do 4th grade level maths.

  • Jonny5Alive7 #33 1 month ago

    But I thought MS Points were going to become the Worldwide single currency!

  • Po1ymorph #34 1 month ago

    I am going to miss having the real price of my purchases hidden behind a arbitrary number.

  • Quint2020 #35 1 month ago

    I think it makes sense, I'm sick of buying 2000 points when I only need 1200.

  • arcam #36 1 month ago

    They could implement a dual system, one using real money, and one for people who are still in 4th grade.

    FTFY

  • UnblestCarpet #37 1 month ago

    I think points will stay around in one form or another for in-game micro transactions.

    Points could then be converted from your account to real world currencies (still held within your account though), which is also a way of moving people over to real currency purchases.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 10:09

  • asphaltcowboy #38 1 month ago

    @Quint2020 Erm... what?

  • Ranger101 #39 1 month ago

    @asphaltcowboy
    "...having to have a credit card tied to your account..."

    But you can pay by paypal already.

  • Toothball #40 1 month ago

    I kind of liked Microsoft points, as they a lot tidier in many respects. A game that costs 800 points here is also 800 points in the US, the rest of Europe and wherever else they took Live. In contrast I've seen a good few comments following PSN articles, where EG has listed prices in dollars and pounds but not Euros.

    Basically whatever they do, there will be complaints. If they are switching from points to real money, it's probably because it makes more financial sense for them to do so rather than that some people don't like dealing with points.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 10:10

  • simsini #41 1 month ago

    Game that are on both PSN and XLBA have been more expensive on PSN so far, so it will be interesting to see if this continues. It is more likely that publishers will now set the price to be the same for both, which would clearly mean we are being conned.

  • asphaltcowboy #42 1 month ago

    @Ranger101 Yes, but you can also have nothing tied to your account and only purchase through pre-paid if you want.

  • AbracadaverAK #43 1 month ago

    Terrible news if you're on Expertzone. 1200 points for about £3 was fantastic.

  • persus-9 #44 1 month ago

    I share the worries about prices being round up and currency conversions and as an expat with buying games for a UK account from Europe. On the other hand I think MS were able to charge people more because of the translation into points, I mean that was the whole point of using them right? I think people in general are more willing to spend the points more freely than they would the cash because they've already spent the money. Personally I doubt this will make me take the plunge and actually by things of Xbox live. Waiting a few months until it is converted to PC seems to be working out okay for pretty much everything that has taken my fancy so far.

  • Popzeus #45 1 month ago

    If it's anything like how WP7 already works then there will be some accounting for exchange rates.

    At the moment, WP7 devs set the price for their games in one currency and they are instantly recalculated for every other country it's going to be sold in, so a game that is 99¢ in the US is sold for 79p in the UK and so on.

    There isn't the option to set prices for different regions separately, e.g. 99¢ but also 99p.

  • X #46 1 month ago

    ...or how about keep the points system but let you buy smaller denominations. I know that wouldn't benefit them as they want you to have extra that you don't need but I think going the real money route will just make things more expensive in the long run.

    No cheap points cards and then prices will then be completely up to them.

  • Colin8703 #47 1 month ago

    I don't see this as a good thing. 800 points is around £6.80 and PSN equivalent titles are £7.99 so I will miss them. It just means I will buy less.

  • rivuzu #48 1 month ago

    Great! So now when XBL users get hacked, atleast they'll see the fraud in real money terms, and not points!

  • Darren #49 1 month ago

    You already have the option of using points or real currency when you buy PC content from the Games for Windows Live marketplace and I've always preferred actually monetary value anyway. Works perfectly on the PS3 as owners will know and means that you don't have to spend precious seconds working out what value of points you're actually spending!

  • Darren #50 1 month ago

    P.S. I'll be interesting to see if 800 MP content, which is currently £6.80 based on the cost of buying points directly from the Xbox 360 dashboard (1000 MP = £8.50), will become £6.99 and so on. One would hope not but I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.
    Edited by 2 at 24/01/12 @ 10:44

  • -cerberus- #51 1 month ago

    Excellent!

  • lucky_jim #52 1 month ago

    Despite being against MSP at the start, thinking they were a money-fleecing ruse, I'm actually very disappointed to see them go and I'd rather use them than actual money on XBLA. Why? Well, thanks to the internet I was able to regularly get Microsoft Points very cheap indeed. I'm pretty sure the internet can help me get real money very cheap, but I'd probably go to prison.

  • dancingrob #53 1 month ago

    @Darren

    There's also the fact that you can generally pick up 2100 point cards for £15 on a pretty regular basis, meaning the actual cost of an 800 point game is more like £5.90 or so, so the price of games will increase anyway, even if they honour the actual exchange rate.

  • simsini #54 1 month ago

    @Popzeus That example shows WP7 users are being taken for a ride. 99c = 64p at current exchange rates.

    Apple already treated UK users with contempt by raising 99c apps from 59p to 69p, even though the exchange rate as shown above is somewhere in between. WP7 is even worse, so I don't expect Microsoft to be kind to us UK users.

  • X201 #55 1 month ago

    ooh look.
    Nine people don't like me being happy at the demise of a system that confuses and fleeces people new to our hobby, people that don't know where to find deals on "cheap points".

  • JodSUMO #56 1 month ago

    I wonder how this will affect Xbox Live Rewards?

    You can use your existing MSP on WP7 to buy DLC, if I recall correctly. Think I saw the option in Kinectimals.

  • Murton #57 1 month ago

    As much as people hated the points system its one strength was that no matter where in the world you are, you paid the same price and this move ends that and will bring about the shocking disparity that we see in other digital distribution stores.

    They really should have gone for the middle ground and used a real money transaction model but with global pricing, that way everybody wins, regional pricing always leads to winners and losers, it's just a matter of how big the gap is.

  • callum9999 #58 4 weeks ago

    @linksdad No the credit card company won't give refunds - have you ever used a credit card?

    If you spend over £100 then the credit card company becomes jointly liable for providing the service - is anyone actually going to spend over £100 in one go? Otherwise, it's solely at their discretion - and I personally can't think of any scenarios where MS would refuse to refund but your CC would. Nor does it bring distance selling regulations into play as downloads aren't included.

  • Caimbeul #59 4 weeks ago

    hurray!

  • mastablasta #60 4 weeks ago

    They stated on the windows phone forum this was the reason points aren't used on the phones over a year ago.

  • ZuluHero #61 4 weeks ago

    @X201

    I know its confusing, but chances are you'll end up paying more now.

    There is no way they will list games at their 'unhidden' values of £3.40, £6.80 and £10.20 (400,800,1200 respectively).

    They will round up for sure.

  • toythatkills #62 4 weeks ago

    Anyone that thinks this is good is wrong, and should be very careful what they wish for.

    I wrote a post on rllmukforum about it, but the jist is that there are literally no benefits to people in the UK with this change, and we can say hello to more expensive games and (likely) fewer discounts.

    If you really think that's a good thing, then what's wrong with you?

  • X201 #63 4 weeks ago

    @Murton The only way you could pay the same price is if there was a static one for one exchange rate with every currency on earth.

    800 points in US is not the same as 800 in UK or Europe or Africa etc.

  • arcam #64 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills I think it's a good thing because people, especially parents, will be able to better keep track of and budget for the money they are spending.

    It also takes a unnecessary middle-man (the retailer selling points cards) out of the transaction, as well as saving fuel, paper, warehouse space and anything else involved in converting cash into Disney Dollars.

    I don't see why the exchange rate should make such a difference - you're already buying virtual goods from MS, just points instead of games. If MS wanted to screw you with exchange rates they could easily do that by changing the price of points.

    As for their being fewer discounts in future, I don't really know why that would be the case either.

  • Phishfood #65 4 weeks ago

    next Nintendo

  • X201 #66 4 weeks ago

    @ZuluHero

    If they round the prices up people will either buy or not buy based on the price.
    Either way, people will always see a true price in their own currency and have an easy way to convert to another country's currency to see if they are being ripped off.

    The points system just obfuscates the process.

    Edit:typo
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 11:28

  • ThaneKrios #67 4 weeks ago

    Dear Microsoft, 30$ =/= 30£ or 30€.

    Thanks.

  • Ryze #68 4 weeks ago

    It's absolutely in the way.

    When I consider Steam vs. iTunes vs. Xbox Live, as successful online services, MS's disadvantage is in MS points.

    The drawback will be in pricing, as we all know that the UK prices will be rounded up, while the US prices will be rounded down.

    Oh well...

  • toythatkills #69 4 weeks ago

    @arcam if you remove the middle-man from the transaction, then that means you have to put a credit card on your LIVE account. This puts you at a pretty large risk of fraud right now. There'd still be points cards in the shop, they'd just be loaded with "money" instead.

    The exchange rate will make a difference because the prices will be brought in line with PSN. A game that costs £7.99 will not cost £6.80 on XBLA, the only reason it does now is because the difference is invisible. As soon as it's charged in sterling, the XBLA title will cost £7.99, especially since to a lot of people, that'll look like less than 800 even though it works out as more.

    If you honestly think there'll be fewer discounts, you're being naive =P

    Microsoft, historically, have shown no will to treat markets outside the US equally, I don't see why this will change that.

  • JMac Verified Designer, Rebellion #70 4 weeks ago

    I'd prefer to be able to pay an exact amount. I always end up with loads of points left over whenever I buy something, which will either get left unused or spent on something I don't really want. And it would be nice to know how much cash I'm actually spending on a game without having to bust out a calculator.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 11:35

  • Koborover #71 4 weeks ago

    MS already does this for Games on Demand and the price difference between regions is not that bad. Halo Reach for instance costs 24.99 pounds in the UK and 39.99 dollars in the US. With the current ratings, the UK has the better deal (by 1 dollar, but still).
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 11:36

  • uzivatel #72 4 weeks ago

    @TheJuriel Exchange rates are changing all the time, you cant change the price of the Marketplace content every hour. The pricing needs to be consistent.
    That said, if the Windows Phone Marketplace is anything to go by, European Xbox LIVE users wont be happy campers by the end of the year.

  • arcam #73 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills

    Microsoft, historically, have shown no will to treat markets outside the US equally, I don't see why this will change that.

    But you seem to be saying they were treating markets equally with the points system?

    They might use this as an excuse to raise the prices, but there is nothing about using money rather than points that means this has to be the case. It's just that MS will see this as a convenient time to do so.

    I am happy that MS are increasing transparency. That is all. If they choose to raise the prices as well then that's a seperate issue.

  • NodNolan #74 4 weeks ago

    @Quint2020 you know you can buy a 1000 point bundle and a 500 point bundle, right? Makes more sense than buying 2000 points and having 800 spare.

  • ZuluHero #75 4 weeks ago

    @X201 Thats a fair point.

  • Moz #76 4 weeks ago

    @GamesProgrammer Those were my thought too, there have been issues lately where games on XBL have been 800points in all regions resulting in the real price being the same to their PSN counterpart in some regions but not others. Which while if I remember correctly have been in XBLs favour I can see the 3rd parties not liking it.

  • Moz #77 4 weeks ago

    @linksdad That's actually wrong and I believe the most recent T&C have been changed to no longer say no refunds - in the UK at least given that it was illegal for then to both say and offer no refunds in the UK.

  • theonlyix #78 4 weeks ago

    An idiot move for Microsoft, a good move for consumers.....if true

  • asphaltcowboy #79 4 weeks ago

    @theonlyix Prices are going to go UP. You've got that the wrong way round.

  • toythatkills #80 4 weeks ago

    @arcam I guess we're going to differ then. I'm not willing to pay £2 more for a £6 game just for "transparency." That's three games I can buy where I'd have been able to by four.

    For me, there's no way you can spin that that makes it worth my while.

  • 32768Colours #81 4 weeks ago

    The only annoying thing about this is that I still have a random 5 points that I can never get rid of thanks to some Oblivion DLC I bought when it was on sale. Given the fact that everything is in multiples of 10, would I be entitled to get a refund of those points? My guess is no.

  • toythatkills #82 4 weeks ago

    @JMac if you want to spend the "exact amount" the only way to do so will be to add a credit card to your LIVE account.

    Are you really happy to do that knowing that your account could be FIFA hacked at any minute?

  • Stagga #83 4 weeks ago

    @TheLastProphet "I hope this isn't the case, I buy my points from a guy who advertises on Gumtree-£20 for 4200 points!"

    It doesn't bother you at all that he's very likely hacked someone's account and stolen those points that he's selling to you at half price? Just so long as you get a good deal eh?

  • toythatkills #84 4 weeks ago

    @Stagga that's literally impossible to do. You can't transfer points like that.

  • asphaltcowboy #85 4 weeks ago

    @32768Colours You want a refund on £0.0425?

  • X201 #86 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills

    There's no need to "spin it".
    Just don't buy it at the new price.

    You have the power to make it worth your while. Don't buy it at the high price, wait for it to drop, be discounted or (if possible) buy it on a platform that has it cheaper.

  • TuftyMcTavish #87 4 weeks ago

    Damn! I like points. I get them for £15 whenever possible, and use Quidco etc to reduce the price even further. Now I'll need to have my CC in the system which I can generally avoid otherwise.

  • toythatkills #88 4 weeks ago

    @X201 A lot of people won't have the choice to buy it on a cheaper platform if they only own one platform, and I personally like all my games in the same place.

    With discounts, even a 50% drop is going to cost more in future than a 50% drop would cost now. Not massively more, but with the amount of XBLA stuff I buy it soon adds up.

    There's really not a single advantage to this.

  • X201 #89 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills

    The "other platform" option was my extreme alternative. Hence why I listed it last.

    You ignored the other options of "If you think the price is stupid , don't buy it"

  • liam_monster #90 4 weeks ago

    The region has been wrong on my xbox 360 since I got it early 2006 and they have explicitly refused to change it - this would mean that I will have to some how (as a British citizen) get a yemen ? credit card to be able to purchase content. I think it's the end of DLC on the 360 for me ! Will have to dust of the trusty PS3 !

  • Baihu1983 #91 4 weeks ago

    MSP should never have been used in the first place.

  • toythatkills #92 4 weeks ago

    @X201 well obviously I'm not going to buy it if I think the price is stupid, but it hardly counts as something good coming from this, does it?

  • irve77 #93 4 weeks ago

    Well that is a nice way to increase prices for everything on xbl

  • X201 #94 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills
    Something good will come from it, because you can see the real price.

    It's not hidden behind a different currency (Points) to make it harder for everyone to work out the real cash price.

  • toythatkills #95 4 weeks ago

    @X201 I already know what the real price is. £15 for 2100 points. I don't need to know exactly how much a specific game costs because I know precisely how much I spend on points.

    I certainly don't need to be charged £2 more for a game for the privilege of seeing what the individual item costs.

  • SomaticSense #96 4 weeks ago

    @Ferral "Good idea, only downside will be if they decide to say charge $25 for something on the American store then go charging £25 on the UK store for example. So we could end up paying more for the same thing."

    They do this anyway as it stands now.

    Set up a US account, and you'll see it costs less for them to buy, say 1000 points, than it does for us to buy them based on the current exchange rate. Then if you look at the US Video Marketplace, a lot of films cost less MS Points to rent/buy in the US than over here.

    This means they are shafting us in two ways. The points cost more over here, and sometimes you need more points to buy stuff. I set up a US account for to get access to some demos earlier, and I was appalled to find that out, as the difference in the cost of buying Points can be attributed to the exchange rate and cost of living. But after that the points should be the same worldwide.

    It not all the time, but quite often the Points system covers up exactly how much more they are charging some regions compared to others. At least with an actual monetary system the differences in costs will be more transparent.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 13:06

  • arcam #97 4 weeks ago

    Exactly! MS already set prices based on region - MS points aren't some universal currency.

    Even if MS decide to make the difference between regions bigger, that's not the fault of real money pricing - that's just MS deciding to raise the price.

    TL;DR: get annoyed about price rises, not about how those prices are displayed to the customer.

  • Spuzzell #98 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills

    Are you sure? Because you shouldn't be.

    http://www.eurogame r.net/articles/2012-01-06-a-january-account-of-xbox-live-hac king-and-fraud

  • sir_smooch #99 4 weeks ago

    Well i can't say i am too bothered about losing the points system. but hope that i will still be able to purchase currency externally rather than having to store any of my card details given the recent account exploit/hacking revelations due to people having their bank/credit card details linked with xbox

  • toythatkills #100 4 weeks ago

    @arcam the only way they can get away with this price rise is by changing the way they're displayed to the customer. I've every right to be against that.

    @Spuzzell am I sure about what? That you can't transfer points like that? Yeah, 100% sure. The only way to "sell" stolen Microsoft Points is either via FIFA, or by selling an account that has loads of stolen points loaded on to it. The only way to sell a stolen 4200pt card would be if the card was actually physically stolen from a shop. There's no way to transfer 4200pts from one account to the purchasers own gamertag. It's impossible.

  • frobitz #101 4 weeks ago

    I was wondering if this move could be a sign they are focusing on download via XBL rather than physical media for the next Xbox.
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 13:50

  • cloudskipa #102 4 weeks ago

    Good move! but it won't make a huge difference I don't think.

    To all you crybabies buying points cheaply from some dodgy dealer, why not buy games at the price every else buys them at or else don't bother, it's not MS fault you refuse to see value in the games you play.

  • Po1ymorph #103 4 weeks ago

    @lucky_jim You said

    "thanks to the internet I was able to regularly get Microsoft Points very cheap indeed"

    Another reason why this system needs to go.

    Not only do we have to buy more "points" than are needed for a purchase, but if you are also not willing to search the internet for cheap points, you are out of pocket even more.

  • toythatkills #104 4 weeks ago

    @Po1ymorph that's the dumbest logic I ever heard. "I can't be bothered to search for a good deal, SO NOBODY SHOULD GET A GOOD DEAL."

    @cloudskipa if you don't seek to obtain an item you want for the cheapest (legal) price that you can get it, there's something wrong with you as a human being. Or you have an unlimited disposable income; unfortunately most of us aren't blessed with this.

  • Po1ymorph #105 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills Excellent miss-quote there. I think your grasp of logic is somewhat lacking.

  • Popzeus #106 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills Two strawmen, one post. Impressive.

  • Feanor #107 4 weeks ago

    @Ranger101 Paypal is more dangerous than linking a credit card.

    This is terrible news for me because I always get my MS Points for free or discounted.

  • Stagga #108 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills Depends if he's just getting points or getting an account with points already in it. Whichever way it seems unlikely someone would sell points half retail price if it was all legal. They'd be losing money.

  • Popzeus #109 4 weeks ago

    @simsini What you're not taking into account there is the VAT payable on UK purchases (which they don't have in the US).

  • asphaltcowboy #110 4 weeks ago

    Amazed that so many people are willing to have prices increased purely so they can see how much more they're spending in their home currency, rather than MS points...

  • Puzza #111 4 weeks ago

    about damn time i hate having to buy more msp then i need for something then having left over points i cant use on anything

  • ashmon #112 4 weeks ago

    This won't happen. Microshaft make too much profit from idiots who buy ms monopoly money. Everyone has points that they cannot spend. The money that these points equate to is placed in a high interest account, for MS to earn more money on.
    if you have 123points that you cannot spend most don't mind(its only points) but if this was represented by actual money you would be like whoa i wanna spend MY money. but you can't buy anything for such a low amount.

    Why would they give that up?

  • ashmon #113 4 weeks ago

    @asphaltcowboy lol and MS never increase Prices? 800ms points used to be the most expensive thing on Xbox live. you could buy anything on there with 800mps

  • TheLastProphet #114 4 weeks ago

    @Stagga The codes are brand new and still sealed in the retail packaging, so I think it's pretty unlikely they are from hacked accounts don't you?

  • Stagga #115 4 weeks ago

    @TheLastProphet Then it's probably the other option :)

  • asphaltcowboy #116 4 weeks ago

    @ashmon And indeed, there was a time when the only things you could buy on XBLA was Zuma, Hexic and Geometry Wars. Obviously, prices have increased as the size and scope of XBLA games have increased drastically in only a few years. A trend towards games costing more in general is not the issue.

    Please show me a game that has actually be re-priced upwards?
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 14:46

  • alexbulluk #117 4 weeks ago

    I reckon that this is to get ready for the next gen console they'll release, so they won't need to mess around with points at all.

    Still, it took them a while to catch on that points systems suck - hell, even Nintendo figured it out before M$ did!

  • TheLastProphet #118 4 weeks ago

    @Stagga If I knew for a fact they were stolen I wouldn't buy them, but I'm not exactly going to ruin a good deal for myself by accusing the guy of nicking them

  • agparrot #119 4 weeks ago

    But....

    What will happen to the free points Microsoft give me every month for filling in a survey at rewards.xbox.com?

  • X201 #120 4 weeks ago

    @Eurocensor

    "Exactly. Almost every week you can compare the PSN and Live store updates and you'll see that stuff that's 400 Microsoft points (£3.40) on Live is £3.99 on PSN and the 800 point stuff (£6.80) is almost always £7.99 on PSN."

    You're missing the point.
    The important thing is that you should be comparing what 800 Points in the US costs vs 800 points in the UK or Europe.

    Comparing it to PSN prices isn't the issue. You'll be buying it on XBL regardless.

    PSN users can quickly see that Game X on US store is $1.23 and UK users can see that its £3.23 and spot that they're being ripped off.

    To do the same comparison for XBL I have to get the price of MS Points in USA, work out the price per point, then convert it to UK price per point and then compare how many points it cost to buy the game.

    The XBL/PSN price difference is a non-issue that MS have been happy for people to get hung up on, when the real difference is EU/US/UK pricing differences which get hidden when a Point here isn't the same as a Point there.

  • Subdominator #121 4 weeks ago

    This rumour makes no sense at all and will never come true. The reason Microsoft invented the points in the first place is because it changes perception of how much a thing actually costs. This leads to higher revenue, because when customers think it's cheaper than it actually is they tend to spend more. And the way Xbox Live booms there is some truth to that.

    Would you rather buy a Zune song for 99 Cent or for 79 MS Points?

    There's a reason why Microsoft didn't just say 100 Points = 100 Cent and they sure as hell won't walk away from that. It makes every product on Xbox Live look 20 % cheaper than it actually is.

    And then there's the fact that Microsoft Points are no currency. Customers can't demand them to be sold back in real money when they walk away from Xbox. They can do so with real money, thank you EU.

  • miiiguel #122 4 weeks ago

    @ subdominator: when you say "There's a reason why Microsoft didn't just say 100 Points = 100 Cent ", that "cent" is in which currency ?

    100 MSP could never be a cent of a pound and dollar and euro, and yene, and whatever at the same time.

  • cowell #123 4 weeks ago

    Good luck if you're wishing for live exchange rates. It'll never happen. Expect somebody in EU/UK/US to be unhappy with the pricing at some point.

  • Machiavellian #124 4 weeks ago

    ooh look.
    Nine people don't like me being happy at the demise of a system that confuses and fleeces people new to our hobby, people that don't know where to find deals on "cheap points".

    It is to bad that the ignorant always get punish for being ignorant. It's not like it's very hard to do a search for such information if not get it from gamers who have stated such information in forums all the time.

    I will miss the points because I was always able to get free points and get them much cheaper than their price.

  • FaceInTheCrowd #125 4 weeks ago

    this will be the end of me buying dlc /xbla games,no way i want my cc/paypal linked to my live account,i have 10 guys on my friends list who have recently had accounts hacked,i say balls to card linking to my acc

  • toythatkills #126 4 weeks ago

    @X201 why should we be comparing what 800pts costs here against what it costs in the US? It's not important. I don't buy my points in the US so what they cost there is irrelevant.

    What *is* relevant is that a game that costs me £6.80 today, if points are taken away, will then cost me £7.99. Regardless of what it costs in the US, it costs more for me in the UK. I don't care if it costs $9.99 or $109.99 in America, because it doesn't matter.

    Oh, and to those moaning about increasing prices in MS Points, show your support for Quarrel this week which is releasing for 400pts, and it wouldn't do any harm to buy the excellent mercury Hg which released for 400pts too. I wouldn't recommend Sonic CD, but that's another 400pt release from the last few weeks.

  • Po1ymorph #127 4 weeks ago

    @toythatkills To say that all price's will automatically go up if pricing is displayed in real currency is pure conjecture.

    Many indie developers find Microsoft's strict pricing structure of 400/800/1200pts too restrictive, either being too high or too low. They prefer the flexibility offered by the likes of Steam and PSN.

    And I would in all honesty prefer a little extra money to go to the developer, than be sat in Microsoft's bank account earning them interest.
    Edited by 2 at 24/01/12 @ 16:07

  • Subdominator #128 4 weeks ago

    @miiiguel UK has pence. 80 Points = 100 US-Cent.

  • Suboptimal #129 4 weeks ago

    If this means, that MS starts using a card system like Sony, or Apple i wouldn“t mind. As long as i don“t HAVE to use a creditcard.

  • toythatkills #130 4 weeks ago

    @Po1ymorph It's conjecture, sure, but it's based on common sense, there's literally no way it won't happen.

    EA are not going to sell a game on PSN for £8 and sell it on LIVE for £6.80. I absolutely guarantee you. Prices are going to fall in line with PSN, and that means more expensive games. But hey, at least people here will be happy that they can see how much more their hobby costs them now for no good reason.

  • MdaG #131 4 weeks ago

    I've already started buying games on PSN when possible. I hate having to buy 1500p to buy a 1200p game. F.U. M$.

  • sugarbaron #132 4 weeks ago

    About time.

  • toythatkills #133 4 weeks ago

    @MdaG You can buy exactly 1200pts in GAME.

    And they cost £9.99, as opposed to the £11.99 you'll have paid on PSN.

    And that £11.99 probably could have bought about 1500pts.

    You're really showing them.
    Edited by 2 at 24/01/12 @ 16:50

  • SHEEPISH47 #134 4 weeks ago

    Wait, what happened to them giving away points for doing stuff?

  • miiiguel #135 4 weeks ago

    All that means is that you're paying higher prices. I don't know why people use the $ sign for MS when they're paying more elsewhere, lol.

    It's a 90's thing: Nirvana. Grunge. Yuppies. Cheap cocaine. Easy credit. And... M$. (they're all dead now, might as well tell them).
    Edited by 1 at 24/01/12 @ 17:17

  • TheSpanishCount #136 4 weeks ago

    @Derblington That's already possible with a limit of once a year.

  • kassmageant #137 4 weeks ago

    on polish xbox live, games on demand, darksiders, for example, costs almost £14. bought with MSP, it costs 1360 of them, which is around £8. needless to say, i'm not happy about that. and here i was happy that MS noticed poland is rather poor country, and gave us beneficial MSP prices. how f*cking stupid of me

  • Vyggo #138 4 weeks ago

    @FaceInTheCrowd Using real money instead of points doesn't mean they can't keep selling you cards. Ever heard of gift cards or pre paid telephone cards?

  • mrboshingles #139 4 weeks ago

    I for one welcome our new Microsoft overlords.

    /looks forward to getting rimmed with the exchange rate.

  • 32768Colours #140 4 weeks ago

    @asphaltcowboy

    Haha! Yes! Its my £0.0425 dammit and I want it back! ;)

  • ashmon #141 4 weeks ago

    @Eurocensor "Besides, as Steam and PSN are regularly more expensive for the exact same content, your argument makes no sense anyway. What's important to me is being able to get games/DLC at the cheapest prices I can and Xbox Live is the best service for that currently. It's just a simple fact."

    Your mixing your opinion with facts, Steam is cheaper for games and DLC not including the sales simply because pc games are cheaper and so is the DLC on steam. I own both consoles and have 134 games on steam. Oh and btw are your Games/DLC still cheaper once you've added the cost of your subscription?? Chuck Testa
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/12 @ 20:41