Exchange achievements for microsoft points!!!

[BIGHARV]

I read a rumor that claims that you’ll be able to exchange certain game achievements for Microsoft Points in the near future. What would be really cool though is if you could just use achievements as microsoft points but this is definatly a step in the right direction if it is true.

[CrazyCougar]

I doubt it only due to the accessibility of some achievement points. 1000 pts in a day for some games like NHL 2k6 and NBA 2k6, so a quick rental works. I guess it all depends on how much they were considering on giving. Probably something like 100 points for every 2500 gamerscore or 5000 gamerscore.

I like the concept, but doubt it highly.

[ShadedNine]

The problem isn't so much how easy or difficult achievements might be, but more a legal issue. Microsoft points are a commodity, and have a cash value. As a result, giving them away for any reason as a prize has legal implications with regards to taxes, etc. They can set it up as a contest, and offer points as the reward for placing, but they can't hand them out quite as they please, contests have to be registered, etc...and prizes must remain under a certain value to be tax-free. This gets even more complicated if you want to be able to offer the points across borders.

[CarGuy]

The problem isn't so much how easy or difficult achievements might be, but more a legal issue. Microsoft points are a commodity, and have a cash value. As a result, giving them away for any reason as a prize has legal implications with regards to taxes, etc. They can set it up as a contest, and offer points as the reward for placing, but they can't hand them out quite as they please, contests have to be registered, etc...and prizes must remain under a certain value to be tax-free. This gets even more complicated if you want to be able to offer the points across borders.

Wow.. You're thinking way to hard... I heard the same rumor before the 360 was released.

[swivel]

The problem isn't so much how easy or difficult achievements might be, but more a legal issue. Microsoft points are a commodity, and have a cash value. As a result, giving them away for any reason as a prize has legal implications with regards to taxes, etc. They can set it up as a contest, and offer points as the reward for placing, but they can't hand them out quite as they please, contests have to be registered, etc...and prizes must remain under a certain value to be tax-free. This gets even more complicated if you want to be able to offer the points across borders.

Yes. Could Canadians and the residents of Vermont please bend over and grab your ankles?

[ShadedNine]

Yes. Could Canadians and the residents of Vermont please bend over and grab your ankles?

What? you mean we were allowed to let go after the XBL diamond card thing? :rolleyes:

[swivel]

What? you mean we were allowed to let go after the XBL diamond card thing? :rolleyes:

BWWWWAAAAHHHHAAAHAHAAAHHHAAA!!!!!

Oh... man... My eyes are watering!

:rofl:

[Kyle Static]

I've become far to lazy to grab my ankles....it happens so frequently I've just constructed a machine that lifts my ankles for me, that way at least I can sit down while I'm needlessly taking it....

[l Maximus l]

The problem isn't so much how easy or difficult achievements might be, but more a legal issue. Microsoft points are a commodity, and have a cash value. As a result, giving them away for any reason as a prize has legal implications with regards to taxes, etc. They can set it up as a contest, and offer points as the reward for placing, but they can't hand them out quite as they please, contests have to be registered, etc...and prizes must remain under a certain value to be tax-free. This gets even more complicated if you want to be able to offer the points across borders.

You make some great points, but, really, all Microsoft has to do is show that they do not have a cash value...similar to how some arcades may have a gift shop where people win tickets in exchange for gifts exclusively in the gift shop. Non of that is taxed or has legal issues.

For example, I went to Denver, CO and went to this giant arcade/bar/pool hall, etc place (I can't recall the name of it). Whenever people played the arcade games, a group of tickets would spit out of the machine when finished. The further you get in a game, the more tickets you get (or the higher your score, etc). Those tickets were to be used exclusively for the gift shop. It may be very important to mention that no cash was used in this gift shop - only tickets.

This method may work for XBL if they take out the cash part of purchasing stuff.

[CarGuy]

You make some great points

No he doesn't. He's just pretending he knows what he's talking about like always.

[swivel]

This method may work for XBL if they take out the cash part of purchasing stuff.

Hmmm...

Microsoft taking the cash part out of purchasing stuff.

I need to mull that one over.

[Salmonaitor]

I work for a commodity tax firm, and in talking with a few collegues this whole free thing wouldn't be a big deal. Basically, they could charge the tax in another way. The tax structure is very muddy. For instance, they could assign some sort of value to it and assign it to another fee. It also depends on how the Points are distributed. If you live in Canada, and you buy points from MS Canada, then it could be that MS Canada is "buying" the points from a parent company, or perhaps a separate company and redistributing them. In anycase, the tax will get paid along the way, much like with airline points. Clear as mud??

[killerscott]

maybe we pay for the content upfront when we pay $60 for the game. If they know that a certain percent of people will do the downloads they could have added the average extra fee to the price of the game making it seem like you are getting stuff from game points when really you paid for it in profits from the game itself. If you know what I'm saying...

(example) some cell phone companies advertise that they dont have roaming fees. They do a study to see on average how often people roam. Then they just bump their monthly fee up a little bit to cover the roaming that each customer will do. So you pay for it anyways.

[l Maximus l]

Hmmm...

Microsoft taking the cash part out of purchasing stuff.

I need to mull that one over.

lol, dude....Right now, you can literally purchase things via cash over XBox Live; however, if a person can purchase something from XBL with acheivement points instead, then, there shouldn't be any conflict.

That sentence without context certainly can seem kind of silly ;)