XBox Live & Zune

Ok, I am one of those guys who has like the Zune software for some time and has an Xbox 360 (ok, 2 as my wife likes to remind me often). I have been paying for XBox live for quite a while and also have a Zune account with my Zune 30G 1st gen, though not the pass as of yet. In fact, it was the thought of purchasing one that brought up the issue I have today.

When I signed up for my XBox Live account, I used a Windows Live email address that I had, my first one. No big deal, it doesn’t really matter much, right? Well, when I then got a Zune 30G and loaded up the Zune software, I used a different email address. It didn’t have to be a Live account and I never thought much about them needing to be the same…

Well, was I wrong. So I have Microsoft Points left over from some purchases I made for Rockband (I admit, I have downloaded a FEW songs for Rockband…). But, because I am using a different email address for the Zune software, those points are unavailable for me. It seems, when I look though my information on Microsoft Billing, that when I signed up for my Zune account, it also signed me up for an XBox Live account (that has never been active).

Great! So I called up Microsoft to find out what I needed to do to get these accounts ‘combined’. I was told, clearly, that it was just not possible.

I have two options, it seems. I can either cancel my XBox Live account and start up the account with my Zune email address, which will cause my scores to be reset on the games I have played, like Magic and Rockband. Or I can create a new Zune account using the email address of my XBox Live account, which then loses track of the 11,000+ plays I have that are used to help give me guidance on the songs I might like, as well as reset my podcast list, which is the main reason I use my Zune in the first place.

Neither option is a good one. The Zune tag I have is the one I would prefer as my gamer tag on the XBox, to keep it I would have to buy another XBox live account and replay all of the games I have already played. OR I would have to change my Zune tag to something else (for 800 points), create a new Zune account to match my XBox live account and then change the Zune tag to match my old tag (for another 800 points) hoping that no one uses it in the time between, if it gets freed up immediately which I doubt…

I guess I don’t get the issue here? If the future is to combine the media offerings into one, by bringing the Zune to the Xbox and WinMo and etc…, then I doubt I will be the only one with this issue crop up. And Microsoft has no way to merge the accounts together? I don’t understand what is so hard about that? Why not accommodate your users, especially your early adopters, and make it easier for them to use your products?

It just doesn’t make much sense to me.

October 15, 2009 Posted in: Uncategorized