Please please please let this rumor come true. Ever since the beginning of the Xbox 360’s lifecycle, owners had to deal with Microsoft’s choice of using a points system instead of prepaid cards or a digital wallet with real dollar amounts. At first, it wasn’t too bad, but Microsoft’s method of conversion from U.S. dollars to Microsoft Points became a pain in the ass. With MS Points, full dollars come in multiples of 80 (or if you want to simplify, turn 80 into an 8). So 80 MSP = $1, 160 MSP = $2. By that account, 800 MSP = $10, 1600 MSP = $20. Sadly, not everything in the Marketplace have easily convertible asking prices. This conversion was worse in other places like the UK, Japan, and Canada (though this made some things in the U.K. cheaper).

With Nintendo, converting to points was easy since 1 point = 1 cent, so 100 points = 1 dollar. Unfortunately, that meant having leftover points with almost no way to spend them. Nintendo wizened up and starting using $ amounts in the eShop.They still haven’t unified eShop accounts, but they did say that they will at some point in the future.

Sony from the start used dollar amounts for their Playstation Store (though we all still remember that hacking incident back then, so it’s not all rainbows and unicorns over there).

According to original article over on The Verge, these dollars can be added on multiple Microsost platforms and not just one (like Nintendo). Not sure if this also means that virtual wallet amounts will be unified as well, but it’d be stupid if it wasn’t. Money can be added via prepaid, credit, and debit cards.

So finally, no more wondering how much Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams or Double Dragon Neon costs in real money.

Microsoft killing off Xbox Points in favor of currency and gift cards system [The Verge, via Destructoid]