News

Microsoft to display actual currency prices next to virtual MS Points

You are here: blasteroids.com / news / microsoft to display actual currency prices next to virtual ms points /

Latest news | News archive | Search news

Not registered yet? Register here.

DVDBack23 @ Jan 21, 2010 20:46 | 10 comments

Responding to complaints, Xbox group product manager Aaron Greenberg has said that the company does not want to mislead consumers with MS Points and will be looking to display actual currency prices next to the MS Points for all content.

"We never intended to mislead people," Greenberg said, via G4. "We want to be transparent about it, and so it is something that we're looking at."

"How can we be more transparent and let people see it in actual dollars? You've got to think that we have one service that we're offering around the world. The nice thing about Points is that no matter if you're on the JPY or the EUR or the USD – something that's 200 Points is 200 Points everywhere around the world. There's more technical complexities to being able to put local prices in. You have to do that for every product in every country and you then have to deal with currency fluctuations. So there's some challenges to that, but we absolutely did it with the Games On Demand, response has been good and absolutely it's something we're looking at doing," he concluded.

Previous Next

Comments

Comment by: fgamer (Jan 21, 2010 21:35)

I think it'll be a good thing, so people can know what they're actually spending. But it's not 100% necessary..but it's good they're willing to do it.

Comment by: llongtheD (Jan 22, 2010 01:26)

Maybe it would be better to just let you buy the exact number of points for an item? I guess that wouldn't fit their marketing strategy very well.

Comment by: chris4160 (Jan 22, 2010 02:27)

Originally posted by llongtheD:
Maybe it would be better to just let you buy the exact number of points for an item? I guess that wouldn't fit their marketing strategy very well.

Ditto. I hate it how we to buy 2000 points if you are buying a 1600 MS point map pack. Even if the points were sold in 100 point increment's would be an improvement

Comment by: NeoandGeo (Jan 22, 2010 02:29)

Great additoin.

And why are we using a fake points system....

Oh yeah, so it's easier to stick it to the consumer with unfair pricing. Should have known.

Comment by: xnmalletx (Jan 22, 2010 03:16)

Originally posted by NeoandGeo:
Great additoin.

And why are we using a fake points system....

Oh yeah, so it's easier to stick it to the consumer with unfair pricing. Should have known.

Wow, duh. They use Microsoft points so that everyone that uses Xbox live can use the same currency all around the world instead of having to convert euros to dollars and pounds to euros, etc.

Comment by: llongtheD (Jan 22, 2010 03:28)

Quote:
Originally posted by NeoandGeo:
Great additoin.

And why are we using a fake points system....

Oh yeah, so it's easier to stick it to the consumer with unfair pricing. Should have known.
Wow, duh. They use Microsoft points so that everyone that uses Xbox live can use the same currency all around the world instead of having to convert euros to dollars and pounds to euros, etc.

Yes, but haven't you noticed that its structured so that you usually have to buy more points than an item/items actually cost? I guess leaving you with extra points every purchase makes the next item cheaper huh?

Comment by: chris4160 (Jan 22, 2010 03:32)

Quote:
Originally posted by NeoandGeo:
Great additoin.

And why are we using a fake points system....

Oh yeah, so it's easier to stick it to the consumer with unfair pricing. Should have known.
Wow, duh. They use Microsoft points so that everyone that uses Xbox live can use the same currency all around the world instead of having to convert euros to dollars and pounds to euros, etc.

Putting the prices in local currency wouldn't be much harder than putting the price in ms points.

Comment by: borhan9 (Jan 22, 2010 09:49)

Quote:
"How can we be more transparent and let people see it in actual dollars? You've got to think that we have one service that we're offering around the world. The nice thing about Points is that no matter if you're on the JPY or the EUR or the USD – something that's 200 Points is 200 Points everywhere around the world. There's more technical complexities to being able to put local prices in. You have to do that for every product in every country and you then have to deal with currency fluctuations. So there's some challenges to that, but we absolutely did it with the Games On Demand, response has been good and absolutely it's something we're looking at doing," he concluded.

I actually like this its like a universal currency and im totally for this concept can Sony actually also use this Microsoft idea.

I can't believe im going to say this but well done Microsoft in this department.

Comment by: SProdigy (Jan 22, 2010 14:43)

Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by NeoandGeo:
Great additoin.

And why are we using a fake points system....

Oh yeah, so it's easier to stick it to the consumer with unfair pricing. Should have known.
Wow, duh. They use Microsoft points so that everyone that uses Xbox live can use the same currency all around the world instead of having to convert euros to dollars and pounds to euros, etc.
Yes, but haven't you noticed that its structured so that you usually have to buy more points than an item/items actually cost? I guess leaving you with extra points every purchase makes the next item cheaper huh?

Same principle behind casino chips. Different colors, but you lose the meaning of the value.

Comment by: emugamer (Jan 22, 2010 17:04)

Quote:
Quote:
"How can we be more transparent and let people see it in actual dollars? You've got to think that we have one service that we're offering around the world. The nice thing about Points is that no matter if you're on the JPY or the EUR or the USD – something that's 200 Points is 200 Points everywhere around the world. There's more technical complexities to being able to put local prices in. You have to do that for every product in every country and you then have to deal with currency fluctuations. So there's some challenges to that, but we absolutely did it with the Games On Demand, response has been good and absolutely it's something we're looking at doing," he concluded.
I actually like this its like a universal currency and im totally for this concept can Sony actually also use this Microsoft idea.

I can't believe im going to say this but well done Microsoft in this department.

Congrats to MS. It's a step in the right direction IMO. Like chris4160 said, "putting the prices in local currency wouldn't be much harder than putting the price in ms points." It may have been in good intentions, but point has the potential to confuse some. I see in US dollars. I don't want to do conversions for everything I buy. I'm older and am fully capable of basic math, but I do not want to have to when I sit down to numb my mind playing a game after a long day at work. I would eventually lose track of the money I was spending and the value I was getting from it. Which is why I hope Sony does not implement a point system for universal currency.