There's no defending Microsoft points

Easily the worst aspect of xbox live in my opinion. Right now i want to rent the Hurt Locker, which is 350 MS points. I have 340. So i need to buy 10 - just 10 more. :( But Microsoft will only let me buy 500. Is that not just ridiculous? You need 10 points, and are forced to either do without whatever purchase you want to make or buy 500 points instead.

Microsoft would be much better off if they were more considerate of their customers and stopped trying to make a quick penny here and there through stuff like this. And aside from making you buy the points in blocks; why not just let you buy your stuff in ACTUAL MONEY?

Easily the worst aspect of xbox live in my opinion. Right now i want to rent the Hurt Locker, which is 350 MS points. I have 340. So i need to buy 10 - just 10 more. :( But Microsoft will only let me buy 500. Is that not just ridiculous? You need 10 points, and are forced to either do without whatever purchase you want to make or buy 500 points instead.

Microsoft would be much better off if they were more considerate of their customers and stopped trying to make a quick penny here and there through stuff like this. And aside from making you buy the points in blocks; why not just let you buy your stuff in ACTUAL MONEY?

Ninja-Bear

i wish Nintendo would follow suit as well

overall the whole point system is always a rip-off because you always have to pay more than what the product asks for, leaving you with X number of points to sit around with

what's the worst is when you end up with something really random, atm i have 30 points on my account... i don't think i can do anything with that

Its annoying but you got to remember they are a business, I think anyone in charge would do tge same unfortunately.fenwickhotmail

Cant you just go to checkout and buy it for the exact price and not use your current points?

You're not forced to buy them, get over it. Do you walk around shops complaining they they sell products at $5.99 or $8.95? I doubt it.KittenWishes

Right, nobody is forcing you to buy them... unless, of course, you actually want to, you know, purchase something on XBL. But no, otherwise, they are not necessary. :roll:

If all your bills were in denominations of $50 and they didn't make change, then yes, I think you would walk around shops complaining.

[QUOTE="fenwickhotmail"]Its annoying but you got to remember they are a business, I think anyone in charge would do tge same unfortunately.nmaharg

neither does Steam

EA does the whole points thing as well with Dragon Age DLC, although at least you can buy the exact amount (which kinda makes points even dumber in that respect)

overall i still put up with it because i love XBLA, but otherwise despise the whole point system

No doubt and we ought to bring back the Gold standard while we are on this subject... seriously. :P

i have 770 points on my account. to buy something that costs 800 points i need to but 500 points and that leaves me with 470 points

[QUOTE="fenwickhotmail"]Its annoying but you got to remember they are a business, I think anyone in charge would do tge same unfortunately.nmaharg

You bought points in the first place, thus showing your support for the system. Everyone bought the points, and suffers for it. The best you can do is just suck it up and buy another 500, especially if you know you are going to spend them in the future, and want to spend some now.

[QUOTE="KittenWishes"]You're not forced to buy them, get over it. Do you walk around shops complaining they they sell products at $5.99 or $8.95? I doubt it.Hahadouken

Right, nobody is forcing you to buy them... unless, of course, you actually want to, you know, purchase something on XBL. But no, otherwise, they are not necessary. :roll:

If all your bills were in denominations of $50 and they didn't make change, then yes, I think you would walk around shops complaining.

i have 770 points on my account. to buy something that costs 800 points i need to but 500 points and that leaves me with 470 points

toast_burner

You bought points in the first place, thus showing your support for the system. Everyone bought the points, and suffers for it. The best you can do is just suck it up and buy another 500, especially if you know you are going to spend them in the future, and want to spend some now.

foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="toast_burner"]

i have 770 points on my account. to buy something that costs 800 points i need to but 500 points and that leaves me with 470 points

KittenWishes

You bought points in the first place, thus showing your support for the system.

foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="Hahadouken"]

[QUOTE="KittenWishes"]You're not forced to buy them, get over it. Do you walk around shops complaining they they sell products at $5.99 or $8.95? I doubt it.KittenWishes

Right, nobody is forcing you to buy them... unless, of course, you actually want to, you know, purchase something on XBL. But no, otherwise, they are not necessary. :roll:

If all your bills were in denominations of $50 and they didn't make change, then yes, I think you would walk around shops complaining.

It can be a pain in the butt, though it's not a big deal. To be honest, I rarely purchase anything on Live.

[QUOTE="Hahadouken"][QUOTE="KittenWishes"] As if you'd go around asking for your ONE CENT back then run to the internet to complain about have 50 MSP left in your account. TOO BAD. If it pains you that much, go to a store and physically buy them in 800/1200 MSP denomination.KittenWishes

Still missing the point haha

[QUOTE="Hahadouken"][QUOTE="KittenWishes"] As if you'd go around asking for your ONE CENT back then run to the internet to complain about have 50 MSP left in your account. TOO BAD. If it pains you that much, go to a store and physically buy them in 800/1200 MSP denomination.KittenWishes

What I'm getting at (and without being a complete bushpig about it as witnessed above) is that rather than complaining about having and "odd amount" of points left over in your account, you could have walked your fat arse down the road to the shop and bought points at retail and not have to worry about it later. People enter into the agreement knowing how the system works.

Too bad if you have some points left over and can't think of what to use them for. Watch a movie? Jesus. This is the internet, not Oprah - nobody cares.

KittenWishes

A number of points:

1) No need to be abusive to people, nobody else has

2) Advising that a person go out to a store to buy a points card contradicts the whole point of on-demand purchases. The stores are closed. It's late. I'm thinking of stuff to do with my evening and notice the hurt locker is up on Xbox Live. I plan to rent it after dinner, but find that it wants me to buy 500 points when i only need 10.

3) Buying a pre-paid card at retail wouldn't solve any problem at all. :? I could have bought an 800 point card, bought a few pieces of DLC and what not and still ended up with the same denomination left over of 340, still leaving me 10 short meaning i have to buy another 500.

4) The system is quite clearly unfair; it would be much better for the consumer if you just bought thing in real currency, paying whatever the exact cost of your item is, rather than exchanging money for points and having to buy 500 at a time. That is obvious. To defend Microsoft here and start having a pop at the customers instead is exactly why companies can get away with stuff like this.

[QUOTE="Hahadouken"][QUOTE="KittenWishes"] As if you'd go around asking for your ONE CENT back then run to the internet to complain about have 50 MSP left in your account. TOO BAD. If it pains you that much, go to a store and physically buy them in 800/1200 MSP denomination.KittenWishes

You are STILL not getting this man.

Listen carefully.

You buy 1200 MS pts.

You rent a movie for 380 pts.

Now you have 820 pts.

You buy a game for 800 pts.

Now you have 20 pts.

What to do?

Buy more pts.

800 this time.

Now you have 820 pts.

You buy some DLC for 680 pts.

Now you have 140 pts.

"Too bad if you have some points left over and can't think of what to use them for. Watch a movie? Jesus."

How do you watch a movie with 140 pts?

There will always be points left over that you paid money for, but can't spend, unless you somehow find a perfect combination of purchases that uses up every last point. I can't make this any more clear, I really can't.

The issue is that you will always end up with an uneven balance, and eventually just waste these points you paid money for, and you have absolutely no choice. It's a very valid concern, I don't think "suck it up **** happens" is a good way to look at it. TC is right to question these things, the more people say suck it up and just accept that they are getting hosed, the more companies get away with it. Honestly, he is right. There is no excuse for those fixed denominations unless every product on the store costs an even amount that is divisible by 500. If I recall correctly, PSN used to make you buy in increments of $5.00 or something, but last time I checked I was able to buy things with exact change on my credit card.Hahadouken

That is just ridiculous. I bought points in the first place, therefore i agree with it and support it. What sense does that make? I bought points in the first place because it's the only way i can buy the things i want to buy on xbox live. Ninja-Bear

By buying points we already showed our support for the system... and its not like its unpopular either. There is going to be absolutely no way to stop MS from using this system, short of a network-wide boycott. We'll just have to get used to the system and how it works, because there is no foreseeable end to it.

foxhound_fox

Hey, I'm not saying this thread is going to change anything, but I feel he is justified complaining about it, there's no reason it can't be discussed here.

[QUOTE="nmaharg"][QUOTE="fenwickhotmail"]Its annoying but you got to remember they are a business, I think anyone in charge would do tge same unfortunately.fenwickhotmail

Must be a EU thing then, because from my experience PSN charges exactly how much you spend, no more no less.

[QUOTE="fenwickhotmail"][QUOTE="nmaharg"] Yet PSN doesn't....Gxgear

Must be a EU thing then, because from my experience PSN charges exactly how much you spend, no more no less.

Hey, I'm not saying this thread is going to change anything, but I feel he is justified complaining about it, there's no reason it can't be discussed here.

Hahadouken

How is it ridiculous? You wanted to use the service and you supported the use of the service by participating. You could have just ignored it and not used it if you didn't like the idea. The only way to get through to these companies is to speak with your wallet... and you already told them you like the idea of buying more points than you can use.

foxhound_fox

You can write a letter of complaint. You can post on a message board for like-minded people to discuss how they also think it's unfair. I also find it really illogical that the one solution is to just not buy anything, thus getting zero enjoyment out of a massive aspect of the console and the games you pay so much money for. No DLC. No movies. No arcade games. No indie games. You shall do without all of it, because you have to buy microsoft points to get them and to do so is to agree wholeheartedly with the system. Just no. I buy microsoft points because it's the ONLY WAY to get the things that i want to download online.

This is the same kind of logic as when Omni-Slash tried telling people that nothing can ever be over-priced because if you pay for it that means it was worth it so the price was fair. Abstract logic which makes absolutely no sense in my opinion.

:lol: Now that I have read more I see this isn't a joke thread. :shock:

Buy em or else !!!

:P

I don't care. Im always spending points on XBL, so if i have any left over they just go towards my next purchase. No big deal at all.Anjunaddict

:lol: Now that I have read more I see this isn't a joke thread. :shock:

Buy em or else !!!

:P

SecretPolice

Nobody FORCES me at gun point to buy microsoft points, but surely common sense demonstrates that people have to in order to download the things they want to buy. Thus, you can blame them for buying the points or blame the system itself for being unfair and anti-consumer. And the whole 'this is a joke thread' thing is a little cliche.

[QUOTE="KittenWishes"]

[QUOTE="Hahadouken"] LOL you are missing the point by so many light years here. The guy needs 10 more pts. 10. He has to buy 500 instead of 10, leaving him with 490 balance that he didn't want to spend. What if the next purchase isn't an exact 490 pt transaction? Then he has money left over, and has to buy another enormous denomination to actually buy something. How are you not getting this? The argument you are trying to make is "well don't buy the pts" :lol: seriously? Just disregard an entire branch of features on XBL because of their ******-up points structure? That's an amicable solution, to you? :lol: How does going to the store and buying the 800/1200 pt denominations change ANYTHING related to this, either? :lol: It's better to have 1190 pts left over than 490? Oh wow.Hahadouken

You are STILL not getting this man.

Listen carefully.

You buy 1200 MS pts.

You rent a movie for 380 pts.

Now you have 820 pts.

You buy a game for 800 pts.

Now you have 20 pts.

What to do?

Buy more pts.

800 this time.

Now you have 820 pts.

You buy some DLC for 680 pts.

Now you have 140 pts.

"Too bad if you have some points left over and can't think of what to use them for. Watch a movie? Jesus."

How do you watch a movie with 140 pts?

There will always be points left over that you paid money for, but can't spend, unless you somehow find a perfect combination of purchases that uses up every last point. I can't make this any more clear, I really can't.

well 140 points actually isn't all that bad

you can buy an episode of Top Gear for that, which is better than most movies

[QUOTE="fenwickhotmail"]Its annoying but you got to remember they are a business, I think anyone in charge would do tge same unfortunately.nmaharg

as well if your actively buying movies on either psn or xbl...then theres your problem there are far better alternatives out there.

I'm going to use the word 'ridiculous' again, because that's just how i feel in regard to this logic. Every time you buy something you are not saying 'this is awesome, i fully support it, please do it some more'. Further, the notion that the one and only way to show your contempt/displeasure for something is by not buying is also ridiculous. You can buy things and say 'hey, this isn't fair'.
Ninja-Bear

You can write a letter of complaint. You can post on a message board for like-minded people to discuss how they also think it's unfair. I also find it really illogical that the one solution is to just not buy anything, thus getting zero enjoyment out of a massive aspect of the console and the games you pay so much money for. No DLC. No movies. No arcade games. No indie games. You shall do without all of it, because you have to buy microsoft points to get them and to do so is to agree wholeheartedly with the system. Just no. I buy microsoft points because it's the ONLY WAY to get the things that i want to download online.

This is the same kind of logic as when Omni-Slash tried telling people that nothing can ever be over-priced because if you pay for it that means it was worth it so the price was fair. Abstract logic which makes absolutely no sense in my opinion.

Ninja-Bear

as well if your actively buying movies on either psn or xbl...then theres your problem there are far better alternatives out there.

WilliamRLBaker

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

:lol: Now that I have read more I see this isn't a joke thread. :shock:

Buy em or else !!!

:P

Ninja-Bear

Nobody FORCES me at gun point to buy microsoft points, but surely common sense demonstrates that people have to in order to download the things they want to buy. Thus, you can blame them for buying the points or blame the system itself for being unfair and anti-consumer. And the whole 'this is a joke thread' thing is a little cliche.

Sorry, just seems a bit silly to me to get all worked up about this MS points thing but... Carry on I guess.

I don't think Live Gold is worth the money, thus I am merely a Silver member and refuse to pay for it, even if it means I can't access a "huge portion" of the consoles capability. We as consumers speak with our wallets... that is how business works. Complain all you want, Microsoft isn't going to listen. They might listen if you can convince more people to stop using the system, and send MS the message that people aren't happy, but good luck trying to convince several million people.

Gold is the ONLY way to play games online, and I know of many people who refuse to pay and are happy with not playing as a result. You bought the 360, you should have known what you were getting yourself into. Its why they call it "buyer beware."

foxhound_fox

Simply put; we disagree. I find your logic to be the exact problem really - you want to put the blame on the customer, defending the practice of the company when it should be the other way around. Companies CAN get away with stuff like this because apologists tell the people who have to put up with it that it's their own fault.

I disagree wholeheartedly with your notion that every time you buy something that means you fully support it. That just flat-out aint true. You obviously send a message to the company selling it that it's something they can get away with, but you're not for one minute saying you're happy about it. Before mobile phones were really big in the US, they were popular much earlier in the UK and Europe and were often obscenely over-priced. People bought them anyway, but there always complaints about how over-priced they were. Eventually the trading standards watchdog stepped in and the prices were legally lowered to a consumer-standard.

By your logic however everyone fully supported the previous prices and they should have been left well alone.

You say you're happy to not play any games online; that's you. Me? I wouldn't be happy not being able to play online or download anything. I buy microsoft points because if i dont i cannot play the arcade game i've bene waiting for for weeks. My desire to play that game and enjoy it outweights my distaste for the way microsoft expects me to go about buying it.

You also seem to be assuming that whenever anyone complains/points out the unfairness of something it is a sincere attempt to otherthrow those responsible; that aint the case. People talk about getting a bum rap all the time. It's what discussions are made for.

Simply put; bad business practices and unfair profiteering go on all the time. That's capitalism for you, it has its ups and downs. I really disagree with the whole 'nobody forces you to buy it'/'it's your own fault' mentality however. There's nothing at all wrong with pointing out when people are getting ripped off.

Umm, I'll give ya a maybe on that whole thing since the logic isn't too bad. :P Really though, isn't this sorta like complaining about ATM charges of a buck two fifty ( thats a joke ) when taxes accessed against earings by Gov. are confiscated at about 50% ?

Sorry, just seems a bit silly to me to get all worked up about this MS points thing but... Carry on I guess.

SecretPolice

[QUOTE="SecretPolice"]

Umm, I'll give ya a maybe on that whole thing since the logic isn't too bad. :P Really though, isn't this sorta like complaining about ATM charges of a buck two fifty ( thats a joke ) when taxes accessed against earings by Gov. are confiscated at about 50% ?

Sorry, just seems a bit silly to me to get all worked up about this MS points thing but... Carry on I guess.

Ninja-Bear

Oh, I never, ever said it's wrong... I said silly but hey it's SW and it's mostly all opinion and ya know what they say about opinions.. :P

Seriously, carry on. :)

Hey now, please stop being so thin skinned. All I mean is that I don't find it a big deal though if you do... carry on.

Oh, I never, ever said it's wrong... I said silly but hey it's SW and it's mostly all opinion and ya know what they say about opinions.. :P

Seriously, carry on. :)

SecretPolice

[QUOTE="Ninja-Bear"]

Easily the worst aspect of xbox live in my opinion. Right now i want to rent the Hurt Locker, which is 350 MS points. I have 340. So i need to buy 10 - just 10 more. :( But Microsoft will only let me buy 500. Is that not just ridiculous? You need 10 points, and are forced to either do without whatever purchase you want to make or buy 500 points instead.

Microsoft would be much better off if they were more considerate of their customers and stopped trying to make a quick penny here and there through stuff like this. And aside from making you buy the points in blocks; why not just let you buy your stuff in ACTUAL MONEY?

nmaharg

well 140 points actually isn't all that bad

you can buy an episode of Top Gear for that, which is better than most movies

88mphSlayer

:lol: Smart-ass. :P

That was good, though.

PSN doesn't charge for any thing, movies, dlc, games...nope every things free rightttt? all psn has is its free, otherwise its the inferior service it charges for every thing, has a 5 dollar limit as well on last checked, has some weird pricing as well on some things...all it has is free.WilliamRLBaker

That was completely unnecessary, and condescending. You are literally trolling here. You completely missed his point to make some sarcastic comment because you were in such a snit from the PS3 comments. He didn't say anything remotely like that.