Today it looks like Microsoft is starting to implement the removal of the MS points system from the Xbox Live service to replace the current payment system with real money transactions in light of the new synergy between the MS products.
Microsoft will be looking to phase out MS points in the coming months for a more direct approach with direct pricing. The points system will be removed so that things such as music downloads and movie rentals on your Xbox will be transferable across all Microsoft gaming devices.
Currently the MS points system works out at 100MS points per £0.85 and users will have to buy bulk amounts of points in set amounts such as 500 MS points for £4.25. So if you want to buy a game add-on that costs you 300MS points, you will need to buy a minimum of 500MS points for £4.50 and you are left with 200 points left over on your account.
It’s a system that has come under criticism before with many seeing it as a ploy to lure customers into buying more than they will need to on the Xbox Live system.
Tech site The Verge has confirmed that in some initial testing in the final copy of Windows 8 they have been able to pay for music or purchase and rent movies in the Xbox Video Store by using a credit card.
But if you do have a load of MS points to hand then don’t worry as you will still be able to pay for purchases online with the points system for the time being, but we suspect Microsoft will start to phase out the selling of the MS vouchers and points in the next couple of years.
But with the MS points system having been in place for nearly a decade it will be hard for Microsoft to just switch over the payment methods straight away as there are so many vouchers and accounts with paid for points already active on them.
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Source: The Verge