When it comes to online transactions, everyone apparently wants to be "cool" rather than practical.
Both Microsoft and Nintendo have adopted a "points" system for their online marketplaces, so intead of slapping real-world price tags on their products, they assign each one a points total. The user must then pile up the required points to "buy" it. But strangely enough, there doesn't seem to be any logical conversion from dollars to points; one dollar isn't one point, for example. Essentially, that system has only succeeded in confusing the user no end, and leaves them wondering how much they actually paid for the download.
But Eurogamer has had recent access to a network-enabled PS3, and they've explored how Sony is approaching their own online purchasing process. And it appears they're avoiding the whole points ordeal and simply opting for normal currency labels. Yes, it's true: everything in Sony's store is actually listed with dollars and cents. Amazingly enough, practicality isn't entirely dead in the corporate realm.
However, given that users are already used to that points nonsense, it'll be interesting to see how they respond to the "normal" way of labeling products. In the end, though, it's all about what the consumer wants, and Sony's plan just seems simpler and more straightforward.