Microsoft update turns your MSP into a cash balance and gives you only a year to use it

With Microsoft rolling out the latest update for the Xbox 360, one of the biggest changes was implementing the rollover from Microsoft points to actual dollar figures. The goal being to eliminate the controversial policy that gamers have been upset with for more than 6 years. The unfortunate reality, is that it now comes with a stiff price.

[xHeavYx]

So, M$ wants you to spend your money or lose it, classy M$

[no_more_heroes]

Only for the points that are converted to currency it seems. Doesn't apply to currency bought otherwise today.

[jimbobwahey]

I love how they've hiked up the prices of everything on the marketplace too, while switching to real currency.

How people can ever defend this company when they repeatedly screw their customers over and over is just baffling.

[FanboyCrusher]

Anything bought after the transition will not have a cap on when you can spend it. " However, the currency you purchase and add to your account after the transition will not expire." Straight from the horses mouth.

[mewhy32]

Micro$oft wants to control your games, your tv, spy on you with their kinect and mic, and now they get YOUR money but you only have a year to use YOUR money LOL.

[SilentNegotiator]

"Only for the points that are converted to currency it seems"

So they converted it to currency...but somehow can't make it so that it stays?

Sense. That makes none.

[nick309]

They let you use the cash until june 2015, misleading title.

[Gamingcapacity]

Did you read the article in Full? Read past the halfway point of the article nick.

[nick309]

My bad i only read the quote part

[Gamingcapacity]

No problem man. Thanks for removing report.

[Major_Glitch]

That reminds me, I really need to cancel my Xbox Live account. I'd have done it sooner, but "The Last of Us" has totally consumed all of my free time.

[StoutBEER]

Why did you put The Last of Us in quotations?

[Blachek]

As least they are dumping the point system, no need for them to run their own currency other than to exploit the pricing structure of how it's bought. I hope they ideally opt for a structure like that of Googly Play or the iTunes store, Making it easier for people to spend money and more convenient.

Any step toward that is a step in the right direction, luckily for me I don't hoard any MS Points and only get them when I want something.

[StoutBEER]

Oh no I ONLY have a year to spend it?? Jesus people will bitch about anything.

[Major_Glitch]

So you don't mind if some multi-national company tells you how to spend your money and when? It's YOUR money, you should be in control of it, not MS.

[Kingthrash360]

wow....smh. so after a year they keep it? must be nice.

[HammadTheBeast]

I'm assuming it's because they want new money's from you when the Xbox One releases.

[Wizziokid]

Sure you have a year to spend your MSP which get converted but at the same time you shouldn't have a time restraint on your money at all. What if nothing takes your fancy within the year and you have £30 worth of points? it's gone.

MS you just don't get it.

"However, the currency you purchase and add to your account after the transition will not expire."

Wow basic laws of being in control on your finance.

[Zichu]

Isn't this the same as a lottery ticket though? Don't they have a certain time limit before they stop you from redeeming the prize money??

You still paid for the ticket, yet you get a time limit.

[Wizziokid]

If i won the lottery I wouldn't hesitate to cash in the ticket I don't know about anyone else.

In my opinion it's not the same

The ticket is basically a raffle where if you don't claim it gets put into the next prize fund.

MS are basically saying if you don't spend your money within a year it will become our money, you never signed up for a raffle, you don't hold a ticket, its your money and you should choose when and how you spend it.

[Funantic1]

Only a year...darn I wanted 5 years.

[_FantasmA_]

Expires after a year? Typical...

[UNGR]

You have an entire year to spend what you got now, honestly how has so many MSP they can't spend them in a year? Nobody should have more than 2000 at a time just sitting there, no need for it.

[Toon_Link]

I've had about 240 msp sitting on my account for years, there's not a lot I can do with it but I never thought it would expire. It's my money and I payed for the points so I should get to spend em however and whenever I want,

[UNGR]

I had 80 MSP sitting around for a long while now, for some reason I have $6.99, maybe when the update goes through you'll have enough for an older arcade title, somehow I managed to end up with more. Maybe it's just the dashboard beta though, it's pretty glitchy.

[StoutBEER]

Buy a fuckin theme

[Talamak]

No...In fact someone/anyone should have $2000 accessible to them at anytime and for anything...it's called an emergency nest egg

[Blachek]

I'd argue you should have some more, but I totally agree. Life is too chaotic to live paycheck to paycheck, although it's understandable that people have to at times. Women get pregnant, jobs get lost, cars break down, and the human body breaks down... too many variables to live by the seat of your pants. Good post Talamak.

[EffectO]

Not a problem unless you have like 100000 points.

[CrossingEden]

due to the whining in the comments it seems like EVERYONE ever and their entire family each has a reserve of 100000000000 microsoft points -_-

[fsfsxii]

I'm gonna qoute Toon_Link:
"It's my money and I payed for the points so I should get to spend em however and whenever I want"

[Dasteru]

This won't work in Canada, it falls under the gift card law passed a few years back.

Any payed redeemables like gift cards or digital currency that you pay for with real money cannot expire or lose value over time.

[dead_eye]

That's just how it should be.

Love how people just don't care what ms do

[UNGR]

Maybe that's how I ended up with more than the actual conversion rate. Had 80 MSP and ended up with $6.99 in the dashboard beta. Neat you found that law though, but I'm almost certain the terms of use will explicitly state that Microsoft has final say on your account, which is BS.

[DragonKnight]

Microsoft cannot override law with an EULA.

[SpideySpeakz]

This is the first time I said this, but: Thank the lord for Canada!

[Dark_king]

MSP didn't expire I don't see how they can legally go from them lasting forever to putting a limit on them.Yes Promo can expire not what im talking about though.If the policy was they last until you spend them when you bought them, then they might get into trouble.

[ElementX]

If you can't find something to purchase in one year than you must not be a gamer. I remember gift cards used to lose value after a year also.

[Dark_king]

And if there are no games that you like in a year are a game you really want but have limited funds that comes out the day after they expire F'em right? Gamer's come in all kinds of types don't just say there not gamer's if they can't find a game for them.

[Geezus]

theres dlc, movies, music, avatar stuff, dashboard stuff, indie games, games on demand plus the points can be used on the xbox one IF people buy the console where you can buy games on the same day they are realeased like KI, ryse... etc. like Element said if you cant find nothing to spend them on within a year you dont really game

[DragonKnight]

@Geezus: What if you don't care about buying music on a console when you can just transfer it? What if you don't care about your avatar, or your dashboard because you play the 360 for games and not virtual vanity? What if the available DLC doesn't interest you or sucks or costs more than you have? I can go on and on with what ifs. The point is that you don't have the authority to say someone isn't a gamer because they don't find something on Live they feel they should spend their money on. Last I checked the only thing required to be a gamer is that you game, not that you spend money on digital clothing.

[MikeMyers]

"What if you don't care about buying music on a console when you can just transfer it? What if you don't care about your avatar, or your dashboard because you play the 360 for games and not virtual vanity? What if the available DLC doesn't interest you or sucks or costs more than you have? I can go on and on with what ifs. The point is that you don't have the authority to say someone isn't a gamer because they don't find something on Live they feel they should spend their money on. Last I checked the only thing required to be a gamer is that you game, not that you spend money on digital clothing."

If it had any reference to your own situation you might have a point, instead of always looking for anything controversial (towards the Xbox only) to cling onto. The transfer of funds expires in one years time. Any future funds added have no expiration date. So tell us, how much value of MS points do you have sitting in your Xbox Live account that you only have one year to use up?

[SilentNegotiator]

Letting Microsoft steal your money for not spending it fast enough means you're "not a gamer"?

Wow, thanks for that wise insight, ElementXbox.

[AlienFodder]

Awww, MS and their poisoned gifts... :)

[yewles1]

The more things change...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[monkey48]

Microsoft is committing suicide. Anything they say or do is just bad for the consumer and these Xbots need to wake up because microsoft is going to try countless ways to take their money be it stupid drm shit they almost pulled or them taking un used balances.

[Cherchez La Ghost]

Don't start with the DRM stuff. Sony had a DRM scandal. Read it for yourself buddy......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

[monkey48]

sony bmg, different subsidiary than Sony Computer Entertainmemt buddy...

[Imalwaysright]

So just because Sony did it its ok for MS to do it? Since when do two wrongs make one right?

[Gamingcapacity]

Personally I think DRM for piracy is great. The DRM that MS had in mind was not for piracy.

[Major_Glitch]

@Gamingcapacity Well said. People pirate music all the time so using DRM makes sense in that case. But who really pirates console games? And MS was trying to use it so people couldn't even play used games that they had legally bought.

[Cherchez La Ghost]

@monkey48

O'really?! LoL!!! OK....... Let this been a MS "subsidiary"..!

[monkey602]

Aww man i have a 2100 points card at home unredeemed along with points on my account. Hope its not too late to cash it in

[fr3d0]

xbots are sadomasochists, there is no other explanation for being loyal to M$ at this point

[Imalwaysright]

Agree 100%!!! Its astounding to me how anyone can defend MS latest moves.

[Pascalini]

How annoying are Microsoft

[Pillsbury1]

Microsoft ripping off consumers? Did not see that coming.

[gnothe1]

how bout you guys look at your PAY CHECKS that you WORKED FOR....VOID AFTER 90 DAYS...if you dont cash that check before 90 days your money IS GONE... but i get it...this is
N4G..the home of MS hate...idiots

[GamerFiend]

except you can get a NEW check. The company cannot refuse to pay you your money. It's illegal. That one check becomes void, you just have to have them re-issue it. Microsoft literally just says "Too bad. You snooze, you lose." This isn't beer and pizza with your friends where you don't grab the last slice in time.

[DragonKnight]

There is a difference between willingly NOT accepting/using your money and having it ripped from you because there's nothing you can do with it.

[streetbred8706]

Very seldom do I purchase MSP cards, I just use Bing Rewards and get points for free. I could care less if I lose them, just some free points from Microsoft.

[UnHoly_One]

My god people will bitch about anything...

Oh No... I have to spend 8 dollars in the next year or else (gasp) I WILL LOSE 8 WHOLE DOLLARS!!!!

OMG!!!!!11!!!!1!!!

Seriously, is that all people have to be worried about in this day and age???

Is it a great policy?? No, absolutely not.

Is it a big deal?? No, absolutely not.

[GamerFiend]

It is the same for someone with $8 as it is for $800. I personally have enough points that would be equivalent to about $60 on my profile. That means I would have one year to find $60 worth of DLC to buy even if I didn't want it.

It is downright theft, no matter how you spin it.

[UnHoly_One]

Again, I'm not saying it is "right", it just doesn't strike me as this horrible huge thing.

I would imagine you are in the extreme minority with 60 dollars worth of points.

I often have large amounts like that, too, but that is because I use them a lot. Using 60 dollars in points in a year for me would be nothing.

[rezzah]

What a great company to support! :D

[KingOfArcadia]

Um, isn't this the way MS points have always been handled? Didn't they always expire after a year? So rather than focusing on what's changing (no longer having to dick around with points), the focus is on the policy that's going to change when the cash transactions kick in. Yes that makes sense.

[GamerFiend]

No. Microsoft points never expire, except for promotional things like Bing or website offers. This takes w/e points you have, promo or not, and sets it to expire. It is literally stealing.

[OOG]

Go use your points on a good arcade game and stop complaining.... I just went and bought State of Decay

[silentnight]

If each Xbox live member had 8 dollars worth of points Microsoft would be stealing millions of dollars, so who's all ok with this again

[KingOfArcadia]

I'm perfectly fine with it. What idiot buys MS points and then doesn't spend them for an entire year? If you weren't going to use them, why would you need to buy them in the first place?