When Nintendo and Sony sell you something online, they aren't trying to trick you with funny money conversion systems. Microsoft, on the other hand, uses its notorious Microsoft Points system, where 100 points is 80 cents. Or is it 100 cents is 80 points? I can never keep it straight, which is exactly what Microsoft intends.

However, once Microsoft starts competing directly with other distribution systems, it's going to have to be more clear about the relative costs of things. If you can buy a game for $49.99 or 4000 Microsoft Points, which do you get? That's the situation Microsoft will raise in August, when it starts selling full Xbox 360 games for download, starting with a few dozen titles and adding more weekly.

But Scott Austin, Microsoft's director of digital game distribution, tells Shack News:

For the first time in Games Marketplace, we're showing the price in local currency. That way you can see if we're the same price as retail or not, people can understand--a little more transparency that we're providing to our consumers

Austin pointed out this "transparency" won't apply outside the sales of retail games. But I'm proud of you, Microsoft. The first step is admitting you're causing a problem.