Microsoft Abandoning MS Points For Xbox Live, Zune, Windows Phone

If you were the kind of lad or gal that found yourself perplexed and befuddled over the pricing of MS Points to real world money conversions, you won't have to worry about ever being befuddled or perplexed again. Microsoft is phasing out the MS Points currency for their marketplaces.

According to Inside Mobile Apps [via GI], Microsoft is finally taking the real-world road when it comes to currency exchange for products later on 2012. Instead of gamers, app enthusiast and mobile users having to pay for things in 80, 120, 800, 1200 and 2400 MS Points, everyone will pay for products based on their dollar/pound/euro/loopy value.

According to Insider Mobile Apps...

By the end of 2012, all transactions will be based on the region set on the purchasing account and real money will be used to purchase all Windows Phone content. The move puts the Windows Phone Marketplace in line with the purchasing practices used in the App Store and the Android Market.

I suppose this would make the Windows Phone app market a lot more competitive, price wise, to the iPhone and Android. Also, there will no longer be any price discrepancies between Xbox Live purchcases and PlayStation Network purchases, which have always been a little shady whenever some things fluctuated in price from one platform to the next.

Microsoft has yet to comment on the change but developers with late 2012 releases are supposedly already being told to brace for impact and to modify the pricing of their products for Zune and Xbox Live accordingly.

Will Usher

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.