According to Inside Mobile Apps, Microsoft is rumoured to be dropping support for Microsoft Points, a virtual currency used to purchase apps and games on several of their platforms.

Apparently Microsoft are looking at moving all transactions by the end of 2012 to a real world currency system like Sony's PlayStation Network, where the price is set by real world dollar. This will effect developers who use the Windows Phone, Xbox Live or the Zune Marketplace.

While the decision to eliminate Microsoft Points may seem to be a surprising move, Microsoft has been gradually introducing cash purchases to Xbox Live, the most popular platform where Points are used. It makes sense for the company to move to a single cash-based payment system, as it brings it in line with its app market competitors and eliminates a consistent criticism of the system — that the Points to dollar conversion ratio is not only confusing, but it forces consumers to purchase more Points than they actually need.

This whole move seems to be a step in the right direction, by removing unnecessary steps when it comes to purchasing items from Microsoft. Currently you are shown a real world dollar amount, but when buying the item, the amount is converted to Microsoft Points.

Hopefully this will be good news for Australians, where we are often given a unnecessary hike in prices when trying to buy games from online stores such as Steam or Origin. Leave us a comment on your thoughts.

Their point system is just a way to f*** you out of more money at the moment. Seems no matter what they release, it's always an amount you can't exactly buy so you are forced to pay $5 - 10 more than what it is your buying.

Points = poo, especially on xbox live since you're only allowed to purchase points in certain increments which means you always end up purchasing more points than you really need.

Edit: beaten like a chump.

PSN have to top up your account in $10 increments aswell

Speaking from my minor experience with considering the premium options in age of empires online, points are confusing as f*** and scared me right away. :/

The points system has always made me completely uninterested in buying stuff on XBL; I look forward to this thing going away.

+1

I preferred the points thing coz I could just go get some from a store & not give them my CC. I liked it this way after someone (on here I think?) said that once they have your card, they just keep on taking your money month after month and the only way to stop them is ring them directly?

No plz k thx f***ers. Give me a "remove my CC details" option.

Anyone who is scared of points or doesn't understand, you're doing it wrong.

said that once they have your card, they just keep on taking your money month after month and the only way to stop them is ring them directly?

No, that was the way it was if you paid for a Gold subscription with a credit card, it would auto-renew. Now when your subscription is about to expire, you'll get a prompt to renew when you sign in to Xbox Live.

The repeated card debits/phone call to cancel thing was for the annual XBL subscription, nothing to do with MS point micro-transactions.

In regards to MS Points, there was two main reasons that they would have done it the way they did initially: 1/ con people into paying cash for a one-way propriety currency that they aren't likely to completely use up -- this is the primary goal behind most of these systems. and 2/ limit the number of individual transactions for small value amounts.

Incidentally, the iTunes store does neither of these, so if they're changing things up now, it will be in a bid to keep up with the competition.

I preferred the points thing coz I could just go get some from a store & not give them my CC.

You can buy PSN cards even though it uses real money, so I don't see why it'd be any different for XBox Live.

The points system has always made me completely uninterested in buying stuff on XBL; I look forward to this thing going away.

+1

Thank f***! This has been long overdue.

Yeah, that points system was completely retarded. Reminded me of going to a music festival and you have to buy tickets for drinks. You always got ripped off.

Yeah I never quite understood the point system. I just had to convert the point value to real world dollars when I made a purchase, which was pretty unnecessary.