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[zigg]

Oh great, that means there will probably be tax now too.

The best thing about points, is that what you get it at exactly that price. Of course there's those of you who don't live (or put in) a state that has tax for online stores.

You know, I don't know what's going on in Michigan, but it seems that whether or not the cards themselves are taxed varies by the phase of the moon.

Right now, I can get cards tax-free, but the purchases are taxed from the balance.

 

[Struct09]

Don't PSN cards ever go on sale?

Rarely. I've gotten great deals on MS Points and Nintendo Points many times, but have never really got a great deal on PSN bucks.

I'd prefer the points system due to the sales.

 

[JimboJones]

I'll probably still use the prepaid cards so doesn't make much difference to me regarding having change left over or whatever but saying something is £7 is always gonna be better than saying it's 1000 points.

 

[BertramCooper]

I don't get the hate for points-based systems. Points cards drop in price during sales all the time... that's not going to happen with a cash-based system.

But the problem is you're always stuck with a balance.

 

[sfried]

So I don't really understand the disappointment or excitement here. Let's wait and see if Nintendo screws it up or makes it work.

The question is: Will the be specials/sales with this new system?

 

[Majine]

I don't get the hate for points-based systems. Points cards drop in price during sales all the time... that's not going to happen with a cash-based system.

When you consider how overpriced alot of digital content is today, a few bucks less for the points does not amount to much.

It's the sheer idea that you have to go through another process when you're buying stuff to convert your real money into Monopoly cash, the limitations of funding as I mentioned before.

But the most insulting thing about the points is that they are tailored to throw the consumer into this loop where it can only become justified after your 10th purchase, that is, when your digital points are all gone.

 

[dvolovets]

But the problem is you're always stuck with a balance.

Yeah, but at the end of the day, it's still worth it. If you're buying the points for cheaper than MSRP, the balance you're stuck with may as well be free points. I don't see what the big deal is about adding $5 worth of points if you're getting them for cheap anyway.

@ Majine - I do agree with you as far as jumping through hoops. Perhaps Nintendo saw the points system as a source of confusion for the average consumer.

 

[fernoca]

Yeah, some more details are needed.
So far, it could end be the same (i.e. adding funds to a virtual wallet instead of buying [1:1] points with a credit card or/and buying prepaid-cash codes to add to your wallet instead of prepaid points-codes). Basically the same, but with a cash-based system instead of a points-based one.

 

[BertramCooper]

Yeah, but at the end of the day, it's still worth it. If you're buying the points for cheaper than MSRP, the balance you're stuck with may as well be free points. I don't see what the big deal is about adding $5 worth of points if you're getting them for cheap anyway.

They can still sell discount gift cards, but just treat them like cash and not points.

If you use an Amazon gift card (or any gift card, for that matter), the amount on the gift card is applied to the item cost and you pay the remaining amount. That's exactly how it should work for digital downloads from Nintendo and Microsoft.

 

[Boney]

Will I be able to use my Nintendo point cards I got stored?

 

[Cerebral Assassin]

I think all the arguing on both sides here is pretty stupid.

So I don't really understand the disappointment or excitement here. Let's wait and see if Nintendo screws it up or makes it work.

PSN Cards are sold in £ amounts, now I have seen these on sale(I'm in the UK) but very rarely, whereas MS & Wii Points are fairly easily found for less than MSRP. Now obviously this may be more to do with 1st Party policies than anything else but with this news I expect to see less deals available on the new prepaid cards.

 

[tzare]

PSN is cashed based as well, but it's still annoying that you need to purchase blocks of money. I just want to pay the exact amount, and not have to buy blocks of $5, $10 etc...

i guess paying with credit card needs a minimum amount. In PSN it is 5€/$ but you can pay the exact amount if you buy items that are worth >5€/$ which is really convenient most of the times.

Good move by Nintendo.

 

[SolarPowered]

Thins just keep getting better and better...

Linking my CC to my purchases a a great step forward. I'm missed out on tons of DLC because I didn't have enough points in my account on the 360 and I was too lazy to add more. Exact amounts a big step forward.

Yeah, some more details are needed.
So far, it could end be the same (i.e. adding funds to a virtual wallet instead of buying [1:1] points with a credit card or/and buying prepaid-cash codes to add to your wallet instead of prepaid points-codes). Basically the same, but with a cash-based system instead of a points-based one.

They have this on Steam and it's a lifesaver. It'd be good for people who buy dlc and DD content from multiple sources(PSN, Steam, Xbl, 3DS store, Wii store) and worry about their account being shut down for safety reasons.

I hope we get this extra feature.

 

[kswiston]

How? The content that shows up on both PSN/XBL are the same price when the points are converted to dollars.

Not in Canada. Canadian PSN prices are the same as US PSN prices. A $10 game in the US is a $10 game in Canada. But Microsoft charges $7.25 per 500pts on the Canadian XBL store. So a 800pt game ends up being $11.60.

 

[cartman414]

I think all the arguing on both sides here is pretty stupid.

There's nothing intrinsic about points that requires users to buy a certain amount in advance. That was a design decision made by MS and Nintendo. You could offer a points system along with a "buy just enough to cover the game" option.

Likewise, there's nothing intrinsic about cash systems that make it impossible for cash cards to go on sale. Individual jurisdictions have different rules about gift cards, cash equivalents, tax rules, etc but there's nothing inherent in using a cash system that prevents sales.

In terms of the complaint that 800 MS Points is $10.00 while 800 Nintendo points is $8.00, again, that's just an implementation detail. There's no reason points systems have to be 1:1 with cash and there's no reason why they can't be 1:1 with cash.

It's all about how it gets implemented. In practice, MS points cards go on sale frequently and there are a number of giveaways online. In practice, most point systems require minimum purchase requirements. In practice, few cash systems do, although PSN's sort of does, and sort of doesn't, depending on your use case. In practice, retail availability is not connected to cash versus scrip but rather connected to the company's efforts to get things in stores.

So I don't really understand the disappointment or excitement here. Let's wait and see if Nintendo screws it up or makes it work.

Hard to believe you'd miss that this means no longer ending up with leftover points.

 

[zigg]

Will I be able to use my Nintendo point cards I got stored?

Doesn't sound like it. The specific mention of prepaid cards seems to suggest they're the only thing that will work on 3DS.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

But I still hope they sell point cards because I don't want to give nintendo my cc information.

 

[zigg]

But I still hope they sell point cards because I don't want to give nintendo my cc information.

They'll sell prepaid cards at retail. This is in the OP.

Re my earlier thought: I wonder if they really will have two separate cards at retail. Sounds confusing. Why not just start labeling existing Nintendo Points cards as "2000 points or $20.00"?

 

[sangreal]

Hard to believe you'd miss that this means no longer ending up with leftover points.

He didn't miss it, he pointed out that ending up with leftovers has nothing to do with using points versus cash. That is a result of Microsoft only selling points in large buckets, which was a strategy to allow for microtransactions. You could just as easily sell points in 1 point increments, or cash in $5 increments if you wanted to.

Sticking to prepaid cards will certainly leave you with leftovers in a cash system.

 

[Boney]

Doesn't sound like it. The specific mention of prepaid cards seems to suggest they're the only thing that will work on 3DS.

What am I supposed to do with 4000 points now

Put them on sale like 3 months ago, nobody wants them

 

[charlequin]

Hard to believe you'd miss that this means no longer ending up with leftover points.

He explicitly addressed that in the post. I suggest reading it again more carefully.

 

[LQX]

I question humanity sometimes.

Well, enjoy your moonbucks.

At one point I thought points was the stupidest shit ever until the contests started popping up and I realized the genius of it all. Seriously about half my games were bought from free points I got from some contest and the rest from points cards I got at a discount. Just the other day you could buy 1600 points for $12 which normally goes for $20.

I don't see how anyone can fucking hate on the points scheme as its proven itself to be beneficial to us as consumers being that in some instances we are actually able to save some money on these games instead of waiting for them to go on sale.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Hard to believe you'd miss that this means no longer ending up with leftover points.

I'm launching the Stumpbox 280 in 2011, here's how the online store works:

- Points system. 100 points = $1
- Prepaid cards in store; 500 points, 1000 points, 2000 points
- If you go to buy an item and don't have enough points, you can just-in-time buy just-enough-points. If you have 200 points and want to buy a 500 point game, you can pay $3 to specifically top your account up to 500

It is hard to believe I missed your gotcha scenario.

 

[YourMaster]

I've never seen Cash go on sale, I have bought MS Points & Wii points at substantial discounts

You should buy dollars right now, they're really cheap!

 

[seady]

I wonder if my Nintendo point card can be redeemed on the 3DS.
I was going to save it for the 3DS, but now they are changing the currency.

The worst case scenario I can redeem it on my Wii/DSiXL, buy Shantae and other Wii/DSiware games, and bring it to the 3DS.

 

[Kandrick]

No thanks. Points are one of the best things MS came up with.

Really, between offers/discounts on points cards at retailers which happen quite often and tons of free points from contests/promotions. It really is a good thing.

 

[Snuggles]

Good. Points systems are silly. I still have like 300 points in my Nintendo Wii account but nothing to do with them since prices are tiered between 500, 800 and 1000+ (at least from what I've seen).

I just want to buy what I want without spending extra. Good call, Nintendo.

 

[Somnid]

This probably allows them to price things with finer granularity. 99cents resonates, 99 Nintendo Points would be retarded.

 

[The Faceless Master]

points are awesome, and if you disagree, maybe it's because you didn't get over 70k microsoft points for free.

besides, MS could *totally* let you buy an exact amount of points with a CC if they wanted to... but do you REALLY want your CC on XBL?

 

[abstract alien]

You surprised me nintendo. Good stuff.

 

[teekun]

points are awesome, and if you disagree, maybe it's because you didn't get over 70k microsoft points for free.

besides, MS could *totally* let you buy an exact amount of points with a CC if they wanted to... but do you REALLY want your CC on XBL?

Don't most people use their CC to add points to XBL?

 

[Poyunch]

Points were weird with the 360 (not sure about PS3) but I don't really see why they were annoying with Nintendo points. I mean 1 dollar was 10 points. What's so complicated about that?

The change doesn't really matter to me though because cash/nintendo points are all the same. I just hope people with Nintendo points can redeem them.

 

[Tenkei]

Come to think of it, I've never really seen a PSN equivalent of MS point give-aways. I wonder if it's because technically under U.S. law, cash prizes must be taxed?

 

[AdawgDaFAB]

People need to listen to what Stumpokapow is saying. Really, this is a non-issue for cash vs points, the big thing is if they will follow a PSN model of pay the exact amount (if over $5 on PSN of course) or require you to buy only in blocks. Until this is made clear, all we know now is that they are changing the this game cost ### points to this game cost $###.

If Microsoft wanted to they could change to a cash based system in the next Xbox, but still make you buy funds in blocks and it would basically be EXACTLY the same as now (only difference being you don't have to divide the point cost of the game by 80 anymore to know the real amount).

Come to think of it, I've never really seen a PSN equivalent of MS point give-aways. I wonder if it's because technically under U.S. law, cash prizes must be taxed?

Not sure if I have seen giveaways, but afaik there is nothing stopping a company from doing the exact same type of promotion on PSN/3DS cards as they do for MSP Cards. It just so happens that companies rarely do so. It may not happen as often, but PSN cards HAVE gone on sale in the past. It is just that XBP cards go on sale way more often and thus people associate points system with "OMG I CAN GET GREAT SALES ON POINTS!"

 

[jambo]

Yeah, and now how about microtransactions? aka transactions under $1

Don't most physical stores have similar limits to how low you can go with credit card purchases?

 

[scitek]

Fuck. Sales tax.

 

[sangreal]

Don't most physical stores have similar limits to how low you can go with credit card purchases?

This was forbidden until the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed in 2010, forcing card processors to allow that practice.

 

[jump_button]

No more hideing so that just MS and wii to drop point and just tell us how much thing cost

 

[sangreal]

Come to think of it, I've never really seen a PSN equivalent of MS point give-aways. I wonder if it's because technically under U.S. law, cash prizes must be taxed?

Well there certainly doesn't seem to be a problem charging extra for them: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B8PEAG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[ZoddGutts]

Good news indeed.

 

[Mockingbird]

This will suck if they charge tax.

 

[akilshohen]

I just hope this doesn't lead to things being taxed. I'd rather just stick to the points since it avoids taxes

 

[v0yce]

I've never seen Cash go on sale, I have bought MS Points & Wii points at substantial discounts

iTunes cards have been on sale recently. It's not that unheard of.

 

[strideramc]

I like the cash based system, but will suck if there is tax.

 

[cartman414]

I'm launching the Stumpbox 280 in 2011, here's how the online store works:

- Points system. 100 points = $1
- Prepaid cards in store; 500 points, 1000 points, 2000 points
- If you go to buy an item and don't have enough points, you can just-in-time buy just-enough-points. If you have 200 points and want to buy a 500 point game, you can pay $3 to specifically top your account up to 500

It is hard to believe I missed your gotcha scenario.

My bad. I missed that part.

Forget I said anything.

 

[DiscoJer]

I have never paid full price for MS point cards.

I have never gotten a discount for PSN Money. It might not be unheard of, but
it's extremely rare.

While thankfully I don't have to pay tax on PSN, many places do. So get ready for the fun of buying a $20 card and not being able to buy a $20 game

This is only a plus if you use a credit card. If you buy cards, then you're going to be screwed over by this.

Especially if you pay tax, you'll have odd amounts. Even without tax, when there are half-off sales you can end up them.

 

[Mockingbird]

iTunes cards have been on sale recently. It's not that unheard of.

It's different because you're using Itunes points for buying shit that's not exclusive to an ipod as opposed to using Nintendo points for shit that's exclusive to a system and can't be replicated elsewhere legitimately. If you want to play Fluidity you can only do it on the Wii but you can listen to Bone Thugs~n~Harmony's The Crossroads on your comp or CD player, etc.