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Who Are You Again?

Xbox pointsAs is publicised from time to time, Microsoft “allow” you to change your Xbox gamertag for the sum of…800 points! For those of you not fluent in the Microsoft points exchange rate this is £6.80. I find this an obscene price for what is basically an automated facility and therefore can think of very few reasons why anyone would possibly want to spend their hard earned cash this way. Indeed, the only sensible reasons I can think of are
a) you join a clan and everyone has a clan name based tag i.e. destinee ready-up
b) you were hideously inebriated when picking your name and woke up to a horrible surprise!

question-markThere may be other reasons and please let me know if you think of them but to me that’s it yet my friend’s list is constantly changing, not due to new people but due to people on there changing their names for unknown reasons. Some people have now changed their names numerous times and I find myself unable to actually remember who half the people on my list are!

To me, the most surprising thing is that it’s not the hard working folk that are changing their names but the younger members of Xbox live. Whether this is because they are yet to discover the true worth of money (let’s face it, you need to struggle to pay the rent/mortgage before this really sets home) or not I really don’t know. The thing that amazes me is that the kids are getting access to this money and then, whilst on limited income, are choosing this as the best thing to do. Up until a short while ago 800 points was the price of a full arcade game which could provide hours of fun and that same price can be used to change a few letters?!

Change your tag

I picked my gamertag many (many, many) years ago back in the birth of the N64 etc. and although since then the “ehgc” suffix has been added it has always been “destinee”. I have had this name for so long and it is very dear to me. I wouldn’t change my tag if it was free, let alone for a price. So let me know – have I got it wrong? Are you a name changer? Do you treasure your gamertag as I do? What’s in a name, to you?

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18 responses to “Who Are You Again?”

  1. John.B avatar
    John.B

    It is interesting how the base cost has changed. Back at the start 800 points bought you two arcade games! Now you’re lucky if you can get a couple of themes and an ingame car for that.

    God I sound old writing that.

  2. Snozzeltoff avatar
    Snozzeltoff

    A friend of mine changed his ‘Live’ tag and then a few days later realised he actually preferred his old one, and guess what? You have to pay another 800 points to revert back to your old tag! I think that’s rediculous.

  3. Denis avatar
    Denis

    Like yourself, my GamerTag is near and dear to my heart, and I’ve used it for years now. I use it in email address’, forums, story writing, RGPs… pretty much anywhere you can get away with using a pseudonym. It actually came about due to a pen and paper RPG I was in several years ago.

    I needed a cool sounding name for my character, and spent longer trying to decide on one than I did on the character creation. Eventually, I settled on “Quaid”, after the actor Denis Quaid. I picked it because my own first name is Denis.

    The second part of my Tag came about after I ordered a pizza months later and they misspelt my surname- Rayn, instead of Ryan. I liked it, and thus was born “Quaid Rayn”.

  4. Dave G avatar
    Dave G

    I agree, I don’t understand people constantly changing their name, particularly when it costs so much!

    Can you imagine if that happened in real life? Your mobile rings, you don’t know the name but it turns out to be the friend you see every week? Your post arrives and you don’t recognise the addressee but learn that your kids have decided to call themselves something else that week (actually, I know of someone who did that…LOL)

    Nope, my Gamertag comes from a word I’ve used for years and I have no desire to change it!

  5. MrCuddleswick avatar
    MrCuddleswick

    I don’t know anyone who constantly changes their GT, but I know a few people who’ve changed their GT once or twice. I changed mine, mainly because my old one was rubbish and I wanted something memorable and sickly sweet.

  6. van-fu avatar
    van-fu

    If Microsoft ever increase the character limit, I will change my gamertag to Virgin Destroyer. In a heartbeat.

  7. MarkuzR avatar
    MarkuzR

    Gamertags mean nothing to me, but neither do gamerscores or achievement points. Perhaps I should be stood up against a wall and shot for such heresy but it’s just the way I am. To me, the XBox is something for playing games on to release some stress and even if I end up playing Oblivion for 235 hours, I still have no attachment to the score or points I accrued in the process. For me, it’s the enjoyment of the game and the passing of time.

    I like my gamertag, because it’s how I’ve been known for a very long time, but if it hadn’t been available I’d just have gone with something else equally as boring 🙂 I think your thoughts on kids today not knowing the value of money is exactly right though… if they can ask their parents for £40 for a new game every month or so then £6.40 is nothing to them. Quite sad really. I can’t wait until they all have mortgages and council tax though :)))

  8. waxc3 avatar
    waxc3

    i have been meaning to change mine actually!

    i LOVE the user name waxc3. been using it for a very long time.
    my name is Watts, but in the old arcade high score days i used WAX as my initials.

    when i got my 360 i made my gamertag waxc3 and started racking up achievements.
    i didnt have broadband internet yet, so i went online with my pc and created the account on xboxlive waxc3 to reserve it.

    much later (this year Jan) i finally get broadband but there was no way to “unify” my two accounts since the NXE was introduced.
    i could not be waxc3 because that account already exists as i create the account on my 360…
    so i made up waxconrad3 and have been meaning to change the old name (800 points) then change the new name to my old name…(800 points)…

    bt everytime i almost do it i stop. dont want to pay for it.

    i think they made it cost so much to keep people from changing names over and over perhaps to avoid/cut down on harrassement, spamming, bullying, etc.

  9. Jonah A McDoogl avatar
    Jonah A McDoogl

    I would have changed my Gamertag many moons ago if it was free. Jonah A McDoogl? I must have been insane LOL

  10. markBOSS avatar
    markBOSS

    apparently if you have a bunch of people file a complaint against you, Microsoft will give you the name change for free.

  11. Razgate avatar
    Razgate

    I must say I was contemplating a name change at one point to Raymod but I don’t say there being much point, another one I’d like would be Ultimate Meatball but it doesn’t fit.
    Razgate’s a keeper though.

  12. Michael avatar
    Michael

    My name is a carefully chosen reflection of who I am and stuff. FACT!

    “Jonah A McDoogl? I must have been insane LOL”

    You mean you’ve stopped being insane?

  13. The Rook avatar
    The Rook

    I went through a few options before I could get a gamertag that wasn’t taken when I first got my 360. Much later I gained the new moniker of The Rook and liked it better than my old gamertag.

    I only decided to change when I knew I had a new name that I liked as I didn’t want to change it, then not like it and have to change it again. Went through many options before I could get an exceptable version of The Rook as well.

    SO for me, I just had earned a new nickname and wanted to use that instead, but I wouldn’t want to change it all the time, even if it was free.

    @markB0SS – I think the complaints thing actually causes your gamertag/profile to be cancelled not changed. You can of course start a new gamertag/profile at any time, but you won’t get to carry over gamerscore/achievements. So getting complaints is not the free option desired.

  14. Laura avatar
    Laura

    I love mine! I didn’t choose it carefully nor did it mean anything to me at the time but it’s grown on me and I’ve grown into it. I am the KillerChick! 🙂

  15. Jake avatar
    Jake

    I’d change mine to Lode Runner if I could con other people to give me 1200 points back thinking they were buying the game. 400 points profit… woo!

  16. Lorna avatar
    Lorna

    I chnged mine once as my original was slected after much faffing and anger at my chosen ones including names I have used on forums for an age being taken (and probably not even used). I grudgingly went with my choice and then regretted it so ended up paying…now I love this one though. Shame so many of the good names have gone and a lot probably aren’t even used…

  17. Punkduck avatar
    Punkduck

    I have always and will always be Punkduck! However, I would still change my gamertag. “What? Why???” you ask. Well, quite simply to get rid of that bloody 79 on the end of it! I’ll have to add dashes or something but anything is better than having the year of your birth tagged on the end!

    PS. I just remembered. I’ve been Punkduck for 99.999% of my gaming career but for 0.0001% of it, I was… The Muppeteer 😀

  18. Punkduck avatar
    Punkduck

    Yes… before I get any smart alec comments, I realise I put one zero in too many… 😛

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