New Real-Money Xbox Dash Raises Game Prices?

Supposedly people in the UK are claimng that Microsoft's switch away from MS Points is causing content to be more expensive. I can tell you for certain that this is not the case here in the U.S., so I am wondering if it might just be a UK thing. Anyone across the pond in the beta care to comment?

The price of games on Xbox Live will go up once the impending, in-beta-testing Xbox 360 dashboard update rolls out. This update converts existing Microsoft Points into real-world, local currency, and does so the moment you try to buy something, a tipster told us. Unfortunately, beta testers are not warned this will happen.

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As far as US customers go, I can tell you that:
Prices are the same.
You are informed of the points - money conversion.
Microsoft even rounded your points to money UP.
You can buy directly with the credit card now associated with your account.
Movies / TV prices the same.

So maybe their "tipsters" are wrong? Can anyone in the UK in the beta confirm what this article is claiming?

At least it will make it easier. I hated having to want a game only to have to purchase points, then buy the game with those points. It's just an added step in the process... Plus, sometimes I just want a game with an odd number of points but have to buy the next step up on points ($15 game requires $20 in points).

I don't think they'd use this transition to do a price increase. Maybe later, but not now.

I can easily see it costing more since pricing doesn't always scale up, take for instance the PS4 $399 US, 399Euro, 359GBP not exactly a perfect exchange rate. Now the question is how that translated from points that were purchased, if 1000 points costs $10, did it also cost 10GBP?

They might as well jack up the prices or devalue the points. It's one of the few things Microsoft hasn't done to piss off their current and potential customers of late.

Well that, and a two hour video of the board of directors biting the heads off fluffy kittens.

I like their disclaimer at the bottom:

"Do also keep in mind that this is information from beta and not necessarily what will actually definitely positively happen."

Translated into Americanish "We're talking out our ass about stuff that could likely change"

In the US $1 = 80 MS points.
In Canada $1 = 70 MS points.
I don't know what the conversion rate was in the UK or if the conversion rate has changed.
It was my understanding that the conversion rates wouldn't change, but I was mainly concerned with US and Canada. It seems like they have kept the points conversions consistent for the US and Canada despite changes in the exchange rate.
Maybe buying points in the UK has been a bargain because of changes in the exchange rate since when Microsoft first set the values. I wouldn't be surprised if the price for a game goes up in some countries after MS is no longer constrained by trying to keep the cost of points the same as they were in each country while keeping the price of games in points the same everywhere. Some countries may even see the price of games going down.

I liked the MS points system. All my points were purchased at B&M stores at 50% off. I've rarely seen sales on PSN cards and when they do, it's only like 20% or 25% off.

I hate the points system (at least only being able to buy in certain amounts of points) but I liked buying discount points cards at B&M and then combining with a dashboard sale.

The massive discounts have always been a huge bonus of the MS Points system.

Looks like MS found the unintended error and is refunding UK customers.

http://kotaku.com/xbox-live-to-refund-uk-users-pinched-by-currency-conver-735925718

Hazard said:

I liked the MS points system. All my points were purchased at B&M stores at 50% off. I've rarely seen sales on PSN cards and when they do, it's only like 20% or 25% off.

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Im going to miss the point system too.