Zune Pays to Share? Yes.

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/confirmed-microsoft-to-reward-zune-song-sharing-214800.php' target='_blank'>http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/confirmed-microsoft-to-reward-zune-song-sharing-214800.php</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;When we last left off, the consensus was that Microsoft was still planning on rewarding song sharing with the Zune. Now we've got pretty much confirmation - unofficial, that is - that Microsoft is planning this feature. At a conference in Seattle this past Saturday, both J Allard and Christina Calio, both from the Zune team, talked about implementing such a system. The Zune team plans to reward people with Microsoft Marketplace Points, the same points you use on both Zune Marketplace and Xbox 360 Marketplace.&quot;</em><br /><br /><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/zt/2006/wey-20061102-bling.jpg" alt="" /><br />Courtesy of <a href="http://www.artghost.com/" target="_blank">Artghost.com</a><br /><br />So after all of <a href="http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/show/180" target="_blank">last month's suggestions</a>, it looks like you <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/confirmed-microsoft-to-reward-zune-song-sharing-214800.php">may get paid to share after all</a> - paid in Microsoft Points, that is - although, I don't think it'll be as simple as it sounds. For example, Microsoft will have to put in some safeguards to prevent unauthorized sharing (i.e., spamming one's own secondary device). And how will offline users benefit from Points? So many questions, so few answers.

[David Tucker]

1) You can't share with yourself so I don't understand how you could spam your own device unless you went and bought multiple Zunes for the sole purpose of point accumalation. Which seems like a lot of work and money for probably a long time to break even.

2) Well, I'd have to guess if you're never going to be online then you're not going to use a Zune's points (and likely aren't going to have a Zune anyway) so I don't see where this is really problem.

[gshocker]

Will be interesting to hear how they end up working this one. Does anyone have details yet other than the fact that they are planning on some program for this?

[Aaron Roma]

My guess is it will work something like this:

Your Zune Marketplace account is tied to your Zune Tag.
Your Zune Player is also tied to your Zune Tag.
When you share a song, it's flaged with your Zune Tag.
If, and only if, another Zune user purchases your shared song from Zune Marketplace, your Zune Tag gets credit for the "referal" and you get some minimal ammount of points.

[Darius Wey]

1) You can't share with yourself so I don't understand how you could spam your own device unless you went and bought multiple Zunes for the sole purpose of point accumalation. Which seems like a lot of work and money for probably a long time to break even.

Yes, that was the point I was making. Don't forget that while it may seem unlikely for one person to own multiple Zunes, it's very easy for a single family to collectively own more than one, and so there exists the exploit.

[Darius Wey]

Does anyone have details yet other than the fact that they are planning on some program for this?

Nope, that's all we know so far.

[David Tucker]

Yes, that was the point I was making. Don't forget that while it may seem unlikely for one person to own multiple Zunes, it's very easy for a single family to collectively own more than one, and so there exists the exploit.


I don't see that as an exploit ;)

[Darius Wey]

I don't see that as an exploit ;)

How so? You have a Zune, your brother has a Zune. You send a song to his Zune, and you get a few Points. He sends a song to your Zune, and he gets a few Points. Repeat vigorously and watch the Points accrue. You're not actually going out of your way to buy an extra Zune for the purpose, so the whole argument about "breaking even" doesn't really hold.

Obviously, Microsoft will implement a system to prevent spam sending and mass Point accumulation from occurring (perhaps limiting the number of songs you can send to a particular Zune in a space of time). If they didn't, the Points market would go kind of funny. ;)

[David Tucker]

I just am going to figure that the amount of songs you'd have to send would be rather large so you COULD do that but it might not exactly be the most exciting thing in the world ;) And like another said, you may not get points unless the other person buys the song...so there you go. :)