That’s right, now Microsoft points are sold in North America in increments of 400, to better match the normal pricing of Xbox Live Arcade titles and downloadable content. Previously, for an 800-point title, we’d have to purchase 1000 Microsoft points, as the batches were sold in increments of 500. Either that or pick up a point card, which would mean leaving the couch, which I’m pretty sure is illegal.
Hopefully this means less leftover points in our Xbox Live accounts, and less OCD-fuelled purchases of unnecessary themes and avatar clothing.
Thanks to bowen13 for pointing out the change!
Jeremy
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 7:00 AMAbout time. We did it for as long as we could get away with it, but developers were starting to complain.
pdaddy
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 7:47 AMLooking at that, TECHNICALLY, buying points in 400 increments is actually CHEAPER than buying larger packs of points..
if 400 points is $4.99, then double that should be 800 points for $9.98. 10 times 400 points should be $49.90 for 4000 points. That doesn’t make sense, why not sell them (like MOST things nowadays) on a sliding scale, i.e. the more you purchase, the slightly cheaper they get!?
warcroft
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 8:28 AMcheaper?lol
Cerzel
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 9:26 AMBecause then they wouldn’t be skimping more money out of us.
Mr Waffle
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 12:43 PMI agree, it’s absurd they don’t give you a discount for bulk-buys. I’d be far more likely to piss away my points on avatar stuff if I had a ton of them sitting in my account…
microUgly
Monday, April 12, 2010 at 10:25 AMRelatively speaking, by making larger packages cheaper, you are making smaller packages more expensive. Are you happy to start paying more when you can’t afford to buy bulk?
womble
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 10:01 AMThe change has not happened in Australia. :-(
FatShady
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 10:29 AMBoooo.
I was so excited and was going to check when I got home. This is however a step in the right direction but once again, poor Aussies…..
Milly
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 12:04 PMI guess we just have to wait, and hope :(
Joshy206
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 5:33 PMIt’ll come when we get the indie games section:
Never.
Sam Timmins
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 10:22 AMMuch like the TV area.
And more than three web series.
Jason Oliver
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 2:01 PMI’d like to see the Australian points better reflect our exchange rate – if we’re going to be paying mega-high interest rates all over again with the only benefit being an appreciating currency – then I want to see that come through to Xbox Live – Then I might actually consider purchasing some points and trying some of those games, unfortunately for Microsoft, Retail is way better value at the moment.
TailSwallower
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 2:26 PMHey, here’s a novel thought… How about tossing away the point system altogether and letting us buy stuff with money directly?
You know money, that stuff that we use to purchase, ohhhh, EVERYTHING ELSE.
They sell Games on Demand for proper money, so I hope they do the same for everything soon…
Ben Smith
Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 9:32 PM@TailSwallower the resoun they dont is because the law for online sales is you have to be 18yrs or older last time i checked but if you make points then that rule goes away so then kids with no brains can go buy the cards and then go online at least PSN and iTunes do the some currency unlike Microsoft (thats why people get shucked in and blow more then they think)
DKnight1000
Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 1:47 PMHaving just double checked the Australian price list ours don’t end in *.99 so when we buy 1000 it’s $16.50 ($8.25 for 500).
That being said I hope we get the 400 increments. Also I know I can but 400 + 800 to get 1200. But since games are there for 1200 why not put that exact amount in the list, and save me a bit of time.