Microsoft Banana Dollars are the devil. Xbox Live forces you to buy the funny money currency in specific denominations, while actual content sells for disparate amounts, leaving you with unwanted point – which forces you to either spend it on useless crap like Avatar clothing, or buy more points to purchase worthwhile content.
It’s a vicious cycle that plays out quite well in Microsoft’s favour – and you’d imagine that system was cleverly put in place to serve their interests. Not so, says Aaron Greenberg. “We never intended to ever mislead people,†Greenberg told G4 “We want to be transparent about it, and so it is something that we’re looking at. It’s one of the reasons Games on Demand is priced in actual currency value.
“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.â€
That’s one of my favourite things about the PSN. We’re not considered 2nd-rate unworthy citizens, and my credit card actually works. I can also purchase content by adding the specific ZAR purchase price to my PSN wallet, so that I don’t have loose virtual change lying about.
He also addressed the eternal question of the 100 friend limit on Xbox Live
“Exactly when [a fix] happens I can’t say because there’s some technical requirements tied to it,†he said. “But I can tell you that, just like consumers, I share the same frustration and I, too, want more than 100 friends, and so know that we all want that and that we are working on getting that fixedâ€.
Source : Eurogamer
Last Updated: January 21, 2010
easy
January 21, 2010 at 09:46
“…something that’s 200 Points is 200 Points everywhere around the world.”
but $1 is the same as R10.61 which is the same as £0.61? many companies manage to work around currency fluxuations, why can’t ms?
:blink:
Bobby Kotick dislikes MS Points
January 21, 2010 at 10:46
In the beginning, I too bought arcade games on Xbox Live, and invariably I ended up with a surplus of points. Sadly, it took me a while to realise that it was a con, but in the process Microsoft pillaged my wallet and probably smiled all the way to the bank, whereas I was left with the option of either leaving the pts indefinitely on the box or buy a baseball cap for my avatar…
AL360
January 21, 2010 at 11:03
MS U SUCK!!!
WitWolfyZA
January 21, 2010 at 11:10
They always find a loop hole to make it look as bad as it seems. If they know ppl are moaning fix the prices then