Leaked document reveals Microsoft Xbox 720 plans

Over the weekend a leaked 56-page document named "XBox 720-9-24 Checkpoint Draft 1" turned up on document-sharing website Scribd. The file has already been deleted due to legal reasons but fortunately PC Mag got hold of some of the details over here. The document reveals Microsoft intends to launch a new Xbox 720 in 2013, the target price for the bundle is $299 and it will include a second-generation Kinect sensor.

The new console is targeted for a ten-year life cycle and even the Xbox 360 still has some time to go as the presentation reveals that Microsoft plans to release XTV service and apps for the 360 in time for the holiday season.

Microsoft plans to remedy most or all of those deficiencies with the Xbox 720, however. According to the document, the next-gen console will support Blu-ray, native 3D, video acceleration, and five distinct power states ranging from "full power" to "standby."

For "competitive differentiation," the Xbox 720 will support "next-gen AAA games" that Microsoft promises will be four times to six times more awesome than titles currently available for the Xbox 360. A second-generation Kinect accessory referred to as Kinect V2 will provide "closer, wider, deeper" 3D play space, improved voice recognition, four-player tracking, dedicated processing, and an improved HD RGB camera, according to the document.

The leaked information also reveals "The Road to Fortaleza", a codename for a new augmented reality project that promises to deliver WiFi-enabled "Fortaleza Glasses" for the Xbox 720 in the 2014 timeframe. A year later the second-generation Fortaleza should deliver cell radio and 4G network connectivity, this version will be more advanced and will basically by a little mini-console that can serve as mobile hub for Xbox content, enabling users to access Xbox games and media from the cloud instantly on any screen.