MS states rules for gamerpoints

What with all the whoring of gamerpoints lately (Kristan "840 from Open Season" Reed), Microsoft has decided to clarify the guidelines it issues to developers - revealing that downloadable content could account for as many as 250 additional points in future.

All disc-based games must offer 1000 as the base amount, Microsoft says, although a publisher is allowed to deliver a portion of this (it doesn't specify) via free add-on content. Note the "free" bit. Meanwhile, Xbox Live Arcade games have to offer 200 points.

Downloadable content - whether it's premium or free add-ons - may then account for up to 250 additional points in the case of boxed games, while Live Arcade titles are allowed to offer another 50.

Microsoft hopes that by clarifying the borders, so to speak, we will see a bit more consistency across future releases. "A perfect example of this is the recent release of Crackdown, which has delivered 900 Gamerscore today on the retail game disc," a spokesperson said. "The remaining Gamerscore in Crackdown will be made available, for free, via a future content update."

Fair enough then, but surely the problem with gamerpoints isn't that the amounts are inconsistent, but rather that developers are inconsistent about the feats involved in obtaining them? Compare the lengths one has to go to get 1000 points in King Kong to the equivalent feat in Ridge Racer 6, for example.

What do you reckon, readers? What should Microsoft be doing with gamerpoints?