October 3, 2012

I was browsing The Verge forums today and came across this post, which is probably one of the most apt descriptions of what’s wrong with the Windows ecosystem reboot:

About twelve years ago when I was 10 years old I created my MSN account which would now be my Microsoft account. I have used this e-mail for everything, and when the Xbox came around I used it for Xbox Live. This being in the early 2000’s DLC and internet services were near to non-existent. At the time I was living in Amsterdam, and from the time the Xbox 360 came out I have spend hundreds of euros, and hours on my Xbox account. Having bought all that DLC and unlocked thousands of achievement points. So now I live in the UK and because of Microsofts old policies, I can not in ANY way change my location. I can not add a credit card or purchase content available in the UK. So I contacted Microsoft and all they had to say is, ‘it’s unchangeable, you need to make a new account’. As if it was nothing, do they not understand that I would lose all of my DLC, Achievements, save games and everything else connected to that account?

This has always been an issue with the Xbox ecosystem, and now it’s a problem with the Windows ecosystem too. It’s still not fixed. There are no workarounds. Update: I’m now aware of this hacky workaround, but calling it a solution is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg.

The new subscription Xbox Music, Windows Phone’s games and Windows 8’s paid applications sound great… until you realize what the catch is. You stand to lose everything if you move.

Microsoft doesn’t understand that people travel around the world, and are hugely sentimental about things they’ve paid for. Here’s a list of some services that are affected by Windows Live ID billing region locks and what you will lose if you move countries:

Xbox Live – Achievements, Gamer Score, Content, Membership

SkyDrive Storage – Photos, Files

Zune – Music

Office 360 – Documents

Windows Phone – Integration

MSDN Subscription

Azure Services – Online services, Servers, storage.

Windows 8 Login – Settings, Wallpapers and Tight integration on all levels

It’s not good enough, there’s not even a way to export out any of this data. If you’re planning on moving, be warned. You may lose your data.

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