Microsoft has been fighting in for a long time (as recently as October of 2012) but they are finally giving in and getting rid of the Microsoft Points System.
Honestly I couldn’t be happier, I have hated the points system from the very beginning. It always seems like a racket when money is converted to points first of all, giving the “illusion” of not really spending money, add in the fact that a lot of items cost strange random amounts of points that you can’t buy, and you’re nearly always left with points that can’t be used.
That’s like giving me a penny bank with coins in it I can never get out.. It’s just silly.
In an email I received today, they claim to be giving “an amount of currency equal to or greater than the Marketplace value of your Microsoft Points”.
Or greater? So I might get $1.05 for the 80 points sitting in my penny bank that I can’t use? AWESOME!!
I seriously doubt they’ll be giving much in the way of “or greater”.. but ok, I’ll take it.
So after many years of a silly points system, we’ll be able to purchase items with actual money, without having to load up our accounts first either.
Good going Microsoft, way to finally listen to your user base.