Xbox 360 users, soon you’ll no longer have to struggle with the awkward math that the Microsoft Points system currently offers. Microsoft recently told tech pub The Verge that it will ditch the system in preparation for its new console release.
Instead of forcing users to convert their real-world cash to the imaginary currency, Microsoft will start using gift cards and vouchers not unlike iTune’s own gift card system. Best of all, each card will use actual currency amounts, so if you buy a card for $5.00, it will be worth $5.00 on Xbox Live.
Users will also be able to directly purchase items by using their debit or credit cards. Furthermore, the new system will not be limited to just Xbox Live. Gift cards can also be used across the board at all of Microsoft’s marketplaces like the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store.
The termination of the Microsoft Points system follows the introduction of Windows 8′s cash transactions. The full announcement of the new system is expected to happen at E3 2013, and this will come right in time for the launch of the next-gen Xbox console.
Some say that this move has been a long time coming, and it’s likely to be for the better. As an added note, users won’t have to worry about extra points being left whenever they make purchases.
Do you think that the introduction of a new real currency system is a good decision on Microsoft’s part? Will you find it easier to use?