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Zune Marketplace closing with Microsoft Points conversion
The Zune Marketplace will close its virtual doors whenever Microsoft decides to flip the switch and convert from MS Points to local currency, which could be as soon as Thursday, August 22 according to the Zune Marketplace FAQ. The Zune Marketplace's movie and television rental/purchasing functionalities will be taken over by the Xbox Video platform, whereas its musical feature set will become the domain of Xbox Music, provided you've got a subscription to the service that allows streaming to an Xbox 360. Microsoft recommends that you "spend your points balance prior to this change," but last we heard MS Points will be converted into an amount of local currency of equal or greater value.
Real currency Xbox Gift Cards to replace MS Point cards
The next Xbox 360 firmware update will push through Microsoft's switch from MS Points to local currency, the company announced earlier today. As a result, Microsoft will also be phasing out its current stable of MS Point gift cards in favor of "Xbox Gift Cards" that, as you might image, fulfill a similar role. The switch from Point cards to Gift Cards is set to take place sometime late this year, although whether that is indicative of when the currency conversion firmware update is slated to hit remains to be seen. Existing MS Point cards and codes will continue to be honored "until further notice" – any redeemed after the switch will be converted to "an amount of local currency equal to or greater than the Marketplace value of those points."
