When Microsoft launched its Xbox 360 console and Xbox Live Marketplace in November 2005, the company introduced a new form of currency called “Microsoft Points” (not to be confused with Achievement Points, which are unlocked by reaching goals in games). Microsoft Points are purchased online or redeemed through cards you can buy in a store. The symbol for the point is the graphical “.”

Most annoying for buyers is that the points don’t line up neatly with real-world currency. 100 Microsoft Points, for instance, are worth about $1.25, making an individual point worth about… wait… let me get my calculator application here… it’s… uh… well it’s slightly more than a penny.

When purchasing a game that costs 800 points, the buyer must make some mental calculations to determine whether it’s worth the price because it’s not a simple matter of thinking, “Oh, that’s $8.” It’s actually around $10. We think. We’re still trying to figure that one out, too.

Things get more complicated for the debonair international gamer, who must deal with fluctuating exchange rates relative to the Microsoft Point, or grey-market purchasers in far-flung countries where Microsoft Points are exchanged for toilet paper and blue jeans, among other things. Here is a handy chart to make calculating the value of Microsoft Points easier:

Microsoft Point Exchange Rates

Currency	Equivalent value to 100
Dollar	1.25
Peso	15
Korean noodle bowl noodle	30
A kick in the teeth	.125
British pencewag	80
Tootsie Roll (bite-sized)	13
Wooden nickel	250
Blowjob	.015
Wonka Golden Ticket	.00030
Argentinian election bribe	.080
Wet willy (inner ear)	.115
Wet willy (outer ear)	.330
Undercarriage tickle	.088
Toilet paper square	8.5
Shave and a haircut	.55
Pocket-sized figurine of Elvis Presley	.235
Gyro	.275
Gyro with extra Tzatziki sauce	.27
Chinese baby	.00043