A Change to Microsoft Points

With the announcement of the Xbox One this week came the announcement that the long used digital current, Microsoft Points, could be replaced. Sources close to the Microsoft planners believe the decision has been to replace these awkward funds into credit, debit and gift cards following the launch of the Xbox One. In fact, according to The Verge, the currency change could be formally announced at E3 in June.

As I’m sure you are aware gift cards are already available for purchasing the points but are expected to be uniquely different from the new offerings which will apply to Windows 8's Xbox Music, Xbox Games, and Xbox Video services.

The system would, theoretically, launch at the same time as the next Xbox during the run up to Christmas, following suit with the Windows 8 departure from Microsoft's arbitrary currency. Previous rumours suggested that should the change occur before this time – as a bit of a test run – then users’ existing Microsoft Points would transition into their real-world value, similar to the traditional "Wallet" system on PlayStation Network and Steam.

Microsoft Points have always felt a bit cumbersome and usually mean people either shop around or don’t spend online at all. It’s difficult to buy certain point values if you only want a single XBLA game or piece of DLC. It’s