Photo: Playground Games
Many people consider software like any other merchandise, but it is not. After admitting it made a mistake selling an expensive Forza Horizon bundle for pennies, Microsoft deleted the games from players’ libraries and refunded the money.
Software installed on computers usually comes with terms and conditions that nobody bothers to read. It’s a shame because, if they did, they would’ve found that software doesn’t belong to them and could as well be taken away at any moment. That’s because software is not sold but rather leased, and it remains the property of the developers until it enters the public domain, if ever. This is also the case with games, as fans of Forza Horizon recently discovered.
Last week, users on the ResetEra forums discovered that the Swedish Microsoft Store sold a bundle of Forza Horizon 4 and 5, which included all their downloadable content (DLC), for a ridiculously low price in Swedish Krona (SEK). Instead of the 2,050 SEK (around $200), the expensive bundle had a 7.59-SEK ($0.73) price tag for a couple of hours until Microsoft found out about the mistake. It was enough time for a swarm of gamers from across Europe and the UK to take advantage of the sweeter-than-honey deal.
Of course, U.S. gamers were excluded from the feast, but it didn’t matter anyway. Unlike other similar pricing errors, this one was reverted by Microsoft. On Thursday, ResetEra users reported receiving notices of a refund being processed, so their hard-earned krona found their way back into their bank accounts.
As with software refunds, the games were also deleted from their Xbox accounts, a stark reminder that software, whatever the type, is not ours. We just pay for the privilege to use it. It’s intriguing why Microsoft denied the deal to the lucky gamers. $200 is indeed a hefty amount to lose, and many people probably benefitted from the mistake.
Nevertheless, Microsoft is a company with big pockets, and there’s an unwritten rule that companies should honor the deals, even when they result from a mistake. In August, Electronic Arts honored one of the biggest pricing errors when they sold FIFA 23 for about six cents instead of the regular $50 price, according to PC Gamer.
Last week, users on the ResetEra forums discovered that the Swedish Microsoft Store sold a bundle of Forza Horizon 4 and 5, which included all their downloadable content (DLC), for a ridiculously low price in Swedish Krona (SEK). Instead of the 2,050 SEK (around $200), the expensive bundle had a 7.59-SEK ($0.73) price tag for a couple of hours until Microsoft found out about the mistake. It was enough time for a swarm of gamers from across Europe and the UK to take advantage of the sweeter-than-honey deal.
Of course, U.S. gamers were excluded from the feast, but it didn’t matter anyway. Unlike other similar pricing errors, this one was reverted by Microsoft. On Thursday, ResetEra users reported receiving notices of a refund being processed, so their hard-earned krona found their way back into their bank accounts.
As with software refunds, the games were also deleted from their Xbox accounts, a stark reminder that software, whatever the type, is not ours. We just pay for the privilege to use it. It’s intriguing why Microsoft denied the deal to the lucky gamers. $200 is indeed a hefty amount to lose, and many people probably benefitted from the mistake.
Nevertheless, Microsoft is a company with big pockets, and there’s an unwritten rule that companies should honor the deals, even when they result from a mistake. In August, Electronic Arts honored one of the biggest pricing errors when they sold FIFA 23 for about six cents instead of the regular $50 price, according to PC Gamer.
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