Microsoft Points (less)

[OneManClan]

Alright, this is how it happened...

I was trying to purchase the new RBSV "Red Pack" and I didn’t have enough Microsoft Points. Of course since they no longer use credit cards for purchases, I had to buy extra points that I am currently not using. I feel like its not fair in a couple of ways...First, What if I want to purchase one of the new XBLA games that go for 800 MS points. So now I have to purchase MORE points to add to the points that I have now and will have points left over again. SIGH. What is hard about having a option A choice whether to use a credit card or using the points system buy purchasing those 1600-4000 points cards at the local games store. Then instead of trying to trick/fool us set it up as a point for a cent, 100 points equal a dollar. Can you imagine if ever manufacture started this practice? Oh, you want a McDonalds Big Mac? “That’s 1800 MickeyDollars. You must purchase in sets of 5,000/10,000/20,000.”

Why is this process of buying content so hard? I also purchased the new maps released for Halo 2 for $4 bucks and used my credit card and I thought to myself, "Self, this is so easy", why can’t all purchases be like this? EXACT change....for EXACT items on your 360.

I think they (MS) are setting themselves for a backlash with regards all this stuff. When you start pricing this stuff out it’s getting very expensive to be a 360 owner. Why should I have to use a price calculator to figure how much something is?

Nothing is free if you think about it. The silver service is "free", but what can you do other then download (helpful BTW) demos that have been made available to paying members for sometimes weeks, fine I can deal with that for not paying. You also can download movies (purchased for a fee of course with a shelf life too), and of course the game "additional content" that they are now passing off as material that was made after seeing a need/demand for it or they didn’t have time to complete. Whatever.

I know this seems like complaining, but I have loved the service since the first Xbox because it was completely different from all the other systems out there. There was an article recently talking about how the Xbox Live service model that we are paying for is really something that we should NOT be paying for (because its peer to peer I believe), which is why it sucks half the time. I am no cheapskate. I have purchased allot of stuff for my 360, extra controllers, WiFi adapter (ridiculously overpriced), Vison Camera, extra faceplates among other stuff. I feel like on a daily basis, I am being charged just for pleasure of my 360's company.

Going back to my point, any ideas of what we can do about the MS points system, and how we can pressure them to give the consumer the options they are always talking about?

Rant Over

[Ivan Joidherpus]

You may not even have realized but I think you answered your own question. The MSP structure was obviously well researched and tested to provide M$ with the greatest chance of making some extra $$$$. Its no coincidence (sp?!?!) that you can buy 1600 MSP and there's a good chance that by buying gamer pics, XBLA games and other various crap that you'll have a silly amount left over (like me, currently with 480MSP). There are no small games I want right now but when the time comes I'll use the 400 MSP to buy one, leaving me with 80. Gamertiles aer a waste of money (learnt the hard way) so I will end up with 80 MSp unused.

Fast forward by 2 months and if there's another XBLA game I want I'm forced to buy more points. Its not really a new business concept. After all, Disneyland has had their "Disney Dollars" for years (not sure if this si still the only accepted form of 'currency' there or not, anyways.....).

The point is, of course M$ is looking to make money off us hand over fist. Thats what companies do. And if there's any market segment that will buy crap over and over again (and probably pay through the nose for it) it us gamers.

Dude, we're SOL on this issue I'm afraid. Unless everyone out there stops buying everything (yeah.....likely right?) its going to remain this way. Also, the calculation can't be $1 = 100 points because then we'd all know how much those stupid little games are ACTUALLY costing us and very few people would buy them. Ask yourself how many people actually do the conversion? not too many I'd bet (members of this forum excluded, as we all seem to be pretty much 'on-the-ball' with this stuff.

[Rossko_UK]

If you don't have two zeros at the end of your total, then you have obviously spent it on smaller thnigs such as the Gamerpics and Themes that some consider pointless.

I have no problem with the system. If I were to have 80 Points left, I'd spend it on something just to get rid of them in all honesty.

Thery system is clever for the reasons already mentioned; it makes you buy more when you really don't want to, but you know you have to. MS are, as has been pointed out a bazillion times before, a profit making company. If you ran a business, wouldn't you do everything in your power to maximise profits, knowing that consumers do it anyway?

If you don't like it, you could just buy a PS3, but then you'd have nothing to buy, so... :X

[OneManClan]

The point is, of course M$ is looking to make money off us hand over fist. Thats what companies do. And if there's any market segment that will buy crap over and over again (and probably pay through the nose for it) it us gamers.

Dude, we're SOL on this issue I'm afraid. Unless everyone out there stops buying everything (yeah.....likely right?) its going to remain this way. Also, the calculation can't be $1 = 100 points because then we'd all know how much those stupid little games are ACTUALLY costing us and very few people would buy them. Ask yourself how many people actually do the conversion? not too many I'd bet (members of this forum excluded, as we all seem to be pretty much 'on-the-ball' with this stuff.[/QUOTE]

I see what your saying, but think of it in this way. M$ (lol) also listened to the rising complaints regarding the broken systems and have made certain restitutions to fix it. This M$ points thing just seems so...dishonest. The Guitar Hero music downloads also smacks of someone (M$) taking advantage of buyers who have already slapped down a heavy price already. Why do we have to pay for EVERYTHING? PS3 gets free stuff like Gran Turismo HD and what do we get? "Next","24", Xmen 3 themes...and pay 185 dollars for Guitar Hero to play all the songs, or Horse Armor, or broken co-op in GRAW 1...when is going to stop? I have a feeling that some time soon, PS3's network will be somewhat close to what M$ offers today and will still be free.

[JasonA]

The PS3 network will obviously grow in time with downloadable content, but im glad is shows you the price of everything in your own currency. Lemmings was £3.75 and well worth it.

[Studley]

There's not much time for points to be left lying around in your account right now. In the past ten days I've spent about 2500 points (Eets, Pinball, Golf, and I even picked up some of the Tetris content). And I should buy the Rainbow Six content sometime, but I don't get much time to play it these days.

Pretty sure that my Arcade addiction is the main reason that I can't afford to buy retail games any more :D

[JasonA]

There's not much time for points to be left lying around in your account right now. In the past ten days I've spent about 2500 points (Eets, Pinball, Golf, and I even picked up some of the Tetris content). And I should buy the Rainbow Six content sometime, but I don't get much time to play it these days.

Pretty sure that my Arcade addiction is the main reason that I can't afford to buy retail games any more :D

Im still waiting on my tetris. Not worth asking if it's any good - cos Tetris is just Tetris I guess...like it was 18yrs ago

[Studley]

Well yeah, you know what the gameplay will be like. You can do a pretty cool level of customisation to it - like you can choose from one of 300 preinstalled avatars, you can "skin" the playing area from a choice of about 15 skins, and you can pick a background video from a choice of about 20 (and there's DLC for skins/backgrounds already).

The menus are awful though, it feels like they were designed by a two year old. For instance, you can't preview a skin/background before applying it, so you have to select one, start a game, see if it's any good, then quit the game to change it again. And there isn't an Achievements shortcut within the menu system, you'll have to browse through the Guide if you want to check them out.

[Thryon]

I like MS points. I can usualy get them on special. The last time the points cards came on special 1250MS points for 5$ off per card, I purchased 10. Saved me $50 off the regular price.

[_Chris_]

Here comes some smap:


...Wait for it...

[H1tchman]

LOL i'm so pisssed!!!!! lalalalalala

[kevgallacher]

I like using points cards as it's too easy to use a credit card online.
I reckon I'd end up buying more stuff if I only used my card.
The points mean I can only spend what I have in the account.

I also get the points cheaper than RRP so I end up spending less that way.
I get 2100 points for £17. Paying by card on live means I would only get 2000 for the same price.
I buy the 4200 points card for only £32.99 meaning I am saving even more.
By card I would only get 4000 for £34.

The same goes for live, I get live for only £28 instead of £40.
If I paid direct I would be spending a lot more.



...Of course since they no longer use credit cards for purchases...

Since when, I just checked and you can still purchase points using a credit card through the dash. Admittedly, the screen is a bit hard to find. But's it's there.

Goto the marketplace blade and select Account Management, then click Memberships then push X button and you can add points using a card.

You can add 500 for £4.25 which is enough to buy one of the cheapest games.
Yes you will end up with 100 left over but it's not like they expire or anything, you will eventually use them.

[GAZBEROTTEN]

i dont know if this site supports access tables but if it does ill post a handy and usefull list in another thread showing you what you can actually buy for silly ammounts of ms points like 80 ms points 100 ms points etc

And yes its a huge list. Ill post this in another thread

[JasonA]

i dont know if this site supports access tables but if it does ill post a handy and usefull list in another thread showing you what you can actually buy for silly ammounts of ms points like 80 ms points 100 ms points etc

And yes its a huge list. Ill post this in another thread

...no please don't !! It would be a waste of your time...

[Shaka]

This is microsoft for ya' always finding ways to rip people off, look at vista.

[Chris]

Yeah, Sony's 'home' isn't trying to rip anyone off with the $5 fake couches you put in your fake apartment in a fake world.

[Lost_Sheep]

Yeah, Sony's 'home' isn't trying to rip anyone off with the $5 fake couches you put in your fake apartment in a fake world.

Oh but I must collect them all so that I can have the entire collectionz and soon rule the world with my ultimate couch fortress.

LOL!

You make a valid but depressing point. ;(

[Jamzy No 2]

This is microsoft for ya' always finding ways to rip people off, look at vista.

my fav poster, randomly insults microsoft, then leaves for a few month. love it.

[_Chris_]

Don't forget self-quotation in his sig, hes so super cool.

[Jamzy No 2]

Don't forget self-quotation in his sig, hes so super cool.

deffintly.

[JasonA]

Yeah, Sony's 'home' isn't trying to rip anyone off with the $5 fake couches you put in your fake apartment in a fake world.

I must have spent more than $5 on fake clothing for an avatar which doesn't even have a fake couch or a fake apartment in a fake world...

[Chris]

I must have spent more than $5 on fake clothing for an avatar which doesn't even have a fake couch or a fake apartment in a fake world...

How do you sleep at night?

[_Chris_]

On a water bed filled with childrens tears.

[JasonA]

On a water bed filled with childrens tears.

I have seen today the good I've done with Xboxic, and how so many bloggers use the news posts through gamenews24 that prioritises xboxic articles along with kotaku.

Maybe I've just been doing it alone for too long and need a break, I would hate to see it wasted and hope that the other newswriters here try to keep a steady flow of something...

[_Chris_]

As i've said, i will. Ive just shit a lot on my plate right now, lots of stress and lots of shit to do, the little bits of spare time i get i game, but will be working on here more often, it just might not happen for a couple weeks.