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Report: Microsoft Points to disappear by year's end


Metal Ghost

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I seriously doubt it's Microsoft that wants to get rid of the points system. They created it for so many reasons (currency valuation, ability to make interest, simplified billing department, etc.). I'd rather guess it was somebody or some people hoping to spark it so that it catches fire like some weird kind of populist movement.

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To mask how much money you're spending? It's 80 points to the dollar in the US. You think people are stupid? There is something to be said for when having points is like having a credit card. You're more likely to impulse buy than if you had to spend from what cash was in your pockets. But people know what they're spending with points. I don't think people get confused on how much their spending.

 

By having points, since items are different amounts, you'll always have some leftover points (unless you're really religious about looking for items to empty out your points). So it's like you buying collectibles like stamps. Microsoft pocketed the money you spent to get the points and hope that you don't spend them all.

 

Currency. An item is 400 points. Now in the US, that 400 points is worth $5. But in some other country like New Zealand, that 400 points is not necessarily worth $5. It's what their currency value is. It lets them charge what is appropriate for that environment while still saying that so-and-so item is 400 points everywhere.

 

Exact dollar amounts doesn't do anything for Microsoft. There's no money left on the table. People aren't going to put $50 into a Microsoft account unless there was interest being paid. It means they have to charge $5 for a game in the US, $7 in the UK, etc. It also means that Microsoft doesn't have to pay Visa, Mastercard, etc. as much for transaction fees. You buy your points card at Best Buy or Amazon. And then you pocket your points into your Microsoft account.

Edited by onlysublime
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Yeah I'll have to admit. as a consumer, I never felt like I was clueless how much $$ I was sending using points. Another perk to points, as onlysublime pointed out, they aren't a set price. This means you will find 4000 points cards for $35.00 instead of $50.00. I'd have to say I've personally never seen like a $20 or $50 Sony Network card sold for less than $20 or $50.

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The point system in and of itself is a scam in my opinion.

 

If retailers put them on sale and Microsoft allows it then it really helps level things off so I haven't really cared that much.

 

So far Sony is really bad with their cards and retail. The last time I got a PSN card on sale was last spring. 20 dollar card for 17 bucks.

 

Haven't seen any sales since.

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Looking at how publisher/developers have screwed us over the years, and we still line-up to take it. Yes, I do think most game consumers are stupid.

 

Okay, let me help you out with a lesson.

 

In the United States, it's 80 points = $1. If you have an 800 point game, that's 800/80 = $10. If you have a 400 point game, that's 400/80 = $5. If you have a 1200 point game, that's 1200/80 = $15. If you have a 720 point DLC (Dance Central is on sale by the sale), that's 720/80 = $9.

 

I hope you're not confused about points anymore. Knowing is half the battle!

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Okay, let me help you out with a lesson.

 

In the United States, it's 80 points = $1. If you have an 800 point game, that's 800/80 = $10. If you have a 400 point game, that's 400/80 = $5. If you have a 1200 point game, that's 1200/80 = $15. If you have a 720 point DLC (Dance Central is on sale by the sale), that's 720/80 = $9.

 

I hope you're not confused about points anymore. Knowing is half the battle!

 

Gee, you're smart. Maybe you should become a math teacher! Or maybe you should think why MS chose the method they did.

 

I have no problem remembering how many points there are to a dollar. But how many kids and their parents who know nothing about digital downloads know? My point is, it's easy to confuse someone by saying something costs 1600 points instead of say it costs $20. A quick glance makes it look like $16.

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BTW

 

US is 80pt = $1 (Cards in 1,600/4,000 currently) Old cards can still be found in other demoninations

Canada is 70pt = $1 (Cards are 1,400/2,800 currently)

UK is 105pt = 1 pound (Cards are 2,100/4,200 currently) 1,800 got released in a Euro2012 format.

 

Makes it easier than a strict $/pound as would be different worldwide. Also to the OP, good luck it going away anytime soon.

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What I think is funny, is that there are people who think that if someone else doesn't think exactly the same way they do...that the person is stupid.

It's amazing, but when you think of it, every single person on the planet is stupid in millions of other peoples eyes, for one reason or another.

I for one am thankful we don't all think the same, for obvious reasons!

 

onlysublime, is crazygametime, an eBay seller? I know Buy.com sells points through eBay cheap a lot of times through their eBay profile. (Can't recall what it is right now) Just wondering if CGT is another resource for cheap points.

 

EDIT: NM It looks like Crazy Game Time is a site. I'll have to check them out. They are currently out of 4000 point cards, but it says they will get more in 2-3 days.

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If I'm reading the site correctly, it might be better to buy 3 of the 1600 point cards. It's $16.49 per card. But if you buy 3 of them, you can apply the $5 off code so it's $44.47 for 4800 points.

 

So that's 102 points per dollar ($38.99 for 4000) versus 108 points per dollar ($44.47 for 4800). either way, it's much better than $50 for 4000 points.

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