Microsoft scraps Points in Windows 8, opts for cash
updated 09:17 am EDT, Mon October 8, 2012
Latest beta sees Xbox Video app default to credit card
Microsoft is reportedly replacing its virtual currency with real-world currency, users of the latest Windows 8 beta claim. The Microsoft Points system, used on Xbox Live for purchasing downloadable content, is apparently absent from the Windows App version of the Xbox Video store, according to The Verge.
Transactions will allow for purchases to take place in points, but defaults to credit card-based transactions. The changeover is likely to help non-gaming users of the operating system to buy items without the added confusion of buying the virtual currency. Gamers have used Microsoft Points for years on the Xbox 360, where the vast majority of purchases, such as Xbox Live Arcade games and extra game content, requires the use of points. If the change applies to Windows 8 on release, it is likely that the Xbox will see a change over to the same system shortly afterwards.
Microsoft Points are usually bought in bundles at an exchange rate of 80 Points per dollar. The scrapping of Microsoft Points has been rumored for a long time, with the most recent being in January, where developers were reportedly told to prepare for the change-over.
