Microsoft's real money to "Points" conversion has always been a point of contention among consumers, but that may all be about to change -- if the Windows 8 Zune Marketplace is any indicator, that is. Movies and music purchased via Windows 8 no longer default to the bizarre indirect system Microsoft set in place years ago with its Xbox Live platform, instead allowing actual currency for payment as well as MS Points (Windows 8 exclusively used the MS Point system for media purchases throughout beta). In fact, the system even automatically selects hard currency as the standard, reports The Verge.
The MS Point system converts 80 MS Points to $1, and points much be purchased in a minimum of 400 point blocks -- a practice criticized as both deceptive and consumer hostile. Points were first implemented on Microsoft's Xbox 360 for purchase of games and associated content on Xbox Live Marketplace; the practice has since expanded to Microsoft's Zune music and movie platform, as well as Xbox.com. Direct payment is available as well, but only for select content, such as Games on Demand.
As of this morning, the change hadn't affected the Xbox 360 Marketplace, though rumors earlier this year indicated that MS Points may be wholesale phased out by the end of 2012. Microsoft had yet to respond to a request for comment as of publishing.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Windows 8 defaults direct cash payments for music and movies, puts Microsoft Points on backburner originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Beat the summer heat by staying indoors with five new XBLA games starting July 18.
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Feels like it was only yesterday that the MLB.tv app was landing on Xbox consoles in North America, and starting today, the application will be available to more baseball lovers around the globe. As Major Nelson notes (again), the Major League Baseball service is now live in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the UK, among a few other nations. Naturally, if you're hoping to catch any ball games via MLB's Premium goods, you'll have to shell out a subscription fee along with having a fancy Xbox Live Gold account. In other 360 news, CinemaNow has made the switch from being a locker-only application to now offering TV show and movie rentals to folks in the US. You can check out what other countries made the MLB.tv cut at the Major Nelson site, link is down below.
MLB.tv Premium for Xbox 360 now live in 18 more countries, CinemaNow adds rentals in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 18:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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