Japan may not be Microsoft's power base but give them an "A" for giving it some of their best shots. This time, the Seattle-based computer giant is banking on Edy e-money to attract gamers to its Xbox Live fold.

So why e-money? In a nutshell, Japan may be a technological trailblazer, but its citizens have never really been big credit card fans. However, one of the fastest-rising means of trade is the Edy system developed by Sony where real money is converted to electronic credits that you can use in most Japanese stores to buy just about anything you want.

Edy money can be stored in either credit cards or mobile phones. Microsoft is taking advantage of the latter because mobiles are big in the country. Essentially, Microsoft's adoption of Edy allows interested gamers to register to Xbox Live and buy Microsoft points. This, Microsoft hopes, will remove the credit card distrust barrier and encourage more people to get into Xbox Live.