Tag Archives: MicrosoftPoints

New Xbox 360 update bids farewell to points, welcomes local currency

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Goodbye, Microsoft Points. Hello, local currency. A new Xbox 360 update, debuting today, has finally made official the long-awaited switch from Microsoft's own virtual currency, allowing you to spend your hard-earned pennies on Xbox Live content. If you've still got Microsoft Points laying around, never fear. As we've previously reported, existing point balances will be converted to their equivalent cash value. According to the company's FAQ, prices are now listed in whatever your local currency happens to be, plus tax. It's worth noting that purchases made with converted money will not be taxed for the time being, and said currency is good until June 1, 2015. For more details, check out Microsoft's breakdown of the switch at the source link below.

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Via: Polygon

Source: Xbox

Microsoft to stop selling PC games on Xbox.com on August 22nd

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Microsoft to stop selling PC games on Xbox.com from August 22nd

If Microsoft hiring a former Valve employee wasn't proof enough that it's looking to overhaul the Windows gaming experience, it's now announced that PC titles will be dropped from the Xbox.com store come August 22nd. An announcement on the Xbox support page loosely ties the closure to the impending death of MS points in favor of real currency, although we can't see how they're necessarily related. If you've splurged on PC games and extra DLC through the Xbox storefront, not to worry, as everything will continue to be accessible though the Games for Windows Live client, which will persist unaffected. Additional game content will also remain on sale in some instances, but that'll vary by title.

When the PC Marketplace within Xbox.com does shut down, any Windows Live games published by Microsoft won't be available anywhere, although one can only assume they'll return to some new platform in the future. Newer PC games and XBLA ports are up for grabs in the Windows 8 store, of course, so perhaps MS will end up offering them there. Or, maybe it's time to revive the dedicated portal model -- that seems to be working for the other guys.

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Via: Ubergizmo

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft Points from Xbox 360 transfer to Xbox One as real money, ‘equal or greater in Marketplace value’

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With the Xbox One, Microsoft is killing off the virtual currency of Xbox Live -- Microsoft Points are soon-to-be no more. But what of remaining balances? Apparently Microsoft's taking care of transfers, and even turning those points back into real currency. "When the transition takes place, the balance of Microsoft Points in an account will be retired and the customer will be given an amount in local currency that is equal or greater in Marketplace value," a Microsoft rep told our friends at Joystiq.

"That value will be stored in your account and can be used similar to Microsoft Points to make purchases in the Xbox Live Marketplace." It sounds to us like you'll be making a permanent move with your account's currency from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One -- 80 MS Points are equal to $1, currently. Regardless, it sure is nice that those virtual bucks aren't locked to a console that we'll soon be retiring to the attic.

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Source: Joystiq

Windows 8 defaults direct cash payments for music and movies, puts Microsoft Points on backburner

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Microsoft Points dropped on Windows 8 Marketplace, Xbox Live still using them for now

Microsoft's real money to "Points" conversion has always been a point of contention among consumers, but that may all be about to change -- if the Windows 8 Zune Marketplace is any indicator, that is. Movies and music purchased via Windows 8 no longer default to the bizarre indirect system Microsoft set in place years ago with its Xbox Live platform, instead allowing actual currency for payment as well as MS Points (Windows 8 exclusively used the MS Point system for media purchases throughout beta). In fact, the system even automatically selects hard currency as the standard, reports The Verge.

The MS Point system converts 80 MS Points to $1, and points much be purchased in a minimum of 400 point blocks -- a practice criticized as both deceptive and consumer hostile. Points were first implemented on Microsoft's Xbox 360 for purchase of games and associated content on Xbox Live Marketplace; the practice has since expanded to Microsoft's Zune music and movie platform, as well as Xbox.com. Direct payment is available as well, but only for select content, such as Games on Demand.

As of this morning, the change hadn't affected the Xbox 360 Marketplace, though rumors earlier this year indicated that MS Points may be wholesale phased out by the end of 2012. Microsoft had yet to respond to a request for comment as of publishing.

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Windows 8 defaults direct cash payments for music and movies, puts Microsoft Points on backburner originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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