Bye-bye Microsoft Points! Good riddance ... or not?

DJGMDJGM Posts: 3,934
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One of the more infuriating elements for users of Microsoft services is the company’s insistence on
using a unified virtual currency system across patches of its digital empire – Microsoft Points.

Many purchases on the Xbox LIVE and Zune Marketplace stores can only be paid for with MS Points,
but it’s now been revealed that the company is preparing to abandon its digital currency, in favour of
embracing purchases made with real world currencies.
Neowin.net - Microsoft Points to be retired, replaced with real money.

Not something I was expecting. Do you welcome this move, or do you enjoy collecting those Points, especially when
some MS Points cards have limited edition designs relating to a specific XBox360 title and/or downloadable content?
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Comments

  • steven1977steven1977 Posts: 3,968
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    Good. Im sick of having to want to buy something but 40 points short so I feel forced to buy 500 points just to get the game.
  • smcbeathsmcbeath Posts: 2,356
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    I am sad to see the points go. It was always good to buy your points from amazon, play, it was £15 for 2100 ( but just checked both have returned to £17). £17 will get you 2000 points of the dashboard. It always felt like i got a bargain when i bought my points elsewhere.

    So i take it the only options will be debit/credit cards or paypal. Dont really fancy putting my card details on there system for some reason:rolleyes:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,329
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    You should still be able to buy prepaid cards just like you can on PSN, unless MS are going down the card/paypal only route, big mistake if that's the plan.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,329
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    steven1977 wrote: »
    Good. Im sick of having to want to buy something but 40 points short so I feel forced to buy 500 points just to get the game.

    That will still apply as they will probably have some sort of top-up system similar to PSN with a minimum top-up of say £5.
  • gavo360gavo360 Posts: 1,608
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    Good move. It would be good if for people that have their credit card/PayPal tied to their account they can then buy stuff without a minimum top so if something you want is £8 you don't have to top up £10, you just get charged £8.

    They will keep the prepaid cards because many people don't like to input a credit card and prepaid cards are good gifts for people.
  • stefmeisterstefmeister Posts: 8,390
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    As long as your still able to get the Pre-Paid cards I don't really care if its MS points or real world currency.


    Just wish they would allow you to buy a Gold membership using points or whatever is used as currency via the Dashboard. I know its easy enough to go out & buy the Gold Pre-Paid card, However they have had some offers avaliable via the dash recently (1 month for £1 for example) which can only be paid for via Debit/Credit card. If you could pay using MS-Points I'd have gone for that offer.
  • Ash_735Ash_735 Posts: 8,493
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    smcbeath wrote: »
    I am sad to see the points go. It was always good to buy your points from amazon, play, it was £15 for 2100 ( but just checked both have returned to £17). £17 will get you 2000 points of the dashboard. It always felt like i got a bargain when i bought my points elsewhere.

    So i take it the only options will be debit/credit cards or paypal. Dont really fancy putting my card details on there system for some reason:rolleyes:

    Don't worry, I'm sure it will be like the PSN, on a few websites you can pick up a £35 PSN Card for £30!
  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    As mentioned, on PSN you still have at times a minimum top up, that being £5.

    If however the game/whatever is over £5, you can pay the exact amount. So a £6.99 game, you pay £6.99. Its slightly annoying if all you wanted was a 20p avatar though.
  • mikey86ukmikey86uk Posts: 5,657
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    steven1977 wrote: »
    Good. Im sick of having to want to buy something but 40 points short so I feel forced to buy 500 points just to get the game.

    This, hopefully you on Live you can purchase something worth....say....20p and only get charged 20p and not have to pay £5 and then have £4.80 sat in your account.

    still would like the option of buying vouchers in store, like iTunes.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,068
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    How do you add money without adding a credit card now then? :confused:
  • HotbirdHotbird Posts: 10,009
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    How do you add money without adding a credit card now then? :confused:

    Same way you do now with pre paid cards, but instead of putting MS points onto your account it will put the value of the card onto your account.
  • stefmeisterstefmeister Posts: 8,390
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    Hotbird wrote: »
    How do you add money without adding a credit card now then? :confused:
    Same way you do now with pre paid cards, but instead of putting MS points onto your account it will put the value of the card onto your account.
    As is done on PSN.

    Instead of going out & buying a 2100 MS-Points card you would go & buy a £25 Pre-Paid card (Or whatever prices MS opt for) which would cost you £25.

    A PSN Card:
    http://www.game.co.uk/en/PlayStation-Network-Card-%C2%A325-119542?cm_mmc=BigMouth-_-Accessories-_-PlayStation-Network-Card-%C2%A325-_-link
  • He4rtHe4rt Posts: 5,379
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    Why would MS do this? Everyone of my avatar item purchases have been from left over points.For example if i buy 2100msp and then go on to buy 2 games at 1200 and 800 points, i'd be left with 100 points. I'd probably then spend that on a new hat of some fetching shorts.

    By removing the points, i'd never buy any crap like that. I don't think iv'e ever looked at that market and thought 'wow, look at that cool t-shirt, i must go out and get some points so i can buy it'.

    At the moment, when i have points i see it as play money, like monopoly, but by having real currency i would think twice before buying anything, and i'm sure alot of other people would too. 80msp for a avatar hat seems like nothing but i'd think that 0.79p for one would be a rip off.
  • ConroyConroy Posts: 3,031
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    He4rt wrote: »
    Why would MS do this? Everyone of my avatar item purchases have been from left over points.For example if i buy 2100msp and then go on to buy 2 games at 1200 and 800 points, i'd be left with 100 points. I'd probably then spend that on a new hat of some fetching shorts.

    By removing the points, i'd never buy any crap like that. I don't think iv'e ever looked at that market and thought 'wow, look at that cool t-shirt, i must go out and get some points so i can buy it'.

    At the moment, when i have points i see it as play money, like monopoly, but by having real currency i would think twice before buying anything, and i'm sure alot of other people would too. 80msp for a avatar hat seems like nothing but i'd think that 0.79p for one would be a rip off.
    So you don't mind being ripped off as long as you can turn a blind eye to it by choosing to ignore that points cost money?
  • 2dshmuplover2dshmuplover Posts: 8,271
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    It's probably a good thing but ultimately it won't make much difference to me as I always end up spending the points anyway. If I have 200 points left over from a 800 MS points XBLA game or something then I only need buy 1000 for a 1200 point game etc. It always works out like that for me anyway.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,727
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    dreadful, the discounts tend to be better on points ;)
  • He4rtHe4rt Posts: 5,379
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    Conroy wrote: »
    So you don't mind being ripped off as long as you can turn a blind eye to it by choosing to ignore that points cost money?

    Ripped off?

    Last time i bought some points, i paid £24.49 for 4200msp

    I don't think MS will be willing to give the same discount.
  • Ash_735Ash_735 Posts: 8,493
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    He4rt wrote: »
    Ripped off?

    Last time i bought some points, i paid £24.49 for 4200msp

    I don't think MS will be willing to give the same discount.

    And you'll still be able to buy Money Cards, much like PSN Cards, and yes, you can get a deal on them depending on the website. Just because they're ditching points doesn't suddenly mean you won't get a good deal on pre-paid cards anymore.
  • IzakIzak Posts: 3,452
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    I never understood why Microsoft and Nintendo went down the "points" root anyway. I like to know how much something is costing me, points is just a good way to hide the fact a little avatar item is really over priced.

    Whenever I've bought something on Live, I've always nipped on a conversion website and done a conversion to GBP so I know exactly how much I'm spending.
  • Brass Drag0nBrass Drag0n Posts: 5,046
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    As other have said the real downside of ditching points is that most of us can get points cheaper than the MS recommended price for them. If we have to pay for DLC, games & avatar stuff directly with a credit card we will have to pay full price for it.

    Lets hope a PS3 style prepaid card replaces them.
  • frostfrost Posts: 4,576
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    Izak wrote: »
    I never understood why Microsoft and Nintendo went down the "points" root anyway.

    I assume it makes transactions look cheaper.

    "oh, just 300 points? I'll have that" without realising how much those points cost you, especially when you can only buy set amounts.
  • ScrubberScrubber Posts: 4,106
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    steven1977 wrote: »
    Good. Im sick of having to want to buy something but 40 points short so I feel forced to buy 500 points just to get the game.

    Yeah that annoys me. Good riddance to em i say.

    Hopefully things can be purchased for their actual price rather than having a minimum top-up.
  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    You'll more than likely still have a minimum, as think they get bank charges for transactions, so have to cover those. Minimum is £5 on PSN (or SEN if you read this tomorrow) but if purchase is above £5 then you pay the exact amount
  • DJGMDJGM Posts: 3,934
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    I rarely agree with digging up old threads, but this really isn't worthy of a new thread. The speculation of Microsoft Points
    being discontinued has come up again. According to an article posted yesterday on tech news site Neowin.net . . .

    Microsoft Points starting to be phased out.


    I'll wait until an official confirmation or denial from Microsoft . . .
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 52
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    Long time coming, I have had 20 points sitting in my account for ages that I will never be able to get rid of!
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