Xbox 720 by 2013?

A document has been floating around the internet lately that is allegedly Microsoft’s internal discussion of the next incarnation of the Xbox. Of course questions have been raised about the legitimacy of the document and whether the information in it is factual.

Several writers and analysts covering Microsoft have said that they believe it to be authentic. The document which was leaked a few months ago, also mentions Microsoft SmartGlass, which debuted at the E3 event just a couple weeks ago. The report was supposedly written in August of 2010 and provides information about some of the technical specs and features of the new Xbox.

The document calls the new console “Xbox 720″ and projects a release date of 2013. It also details the release of Kinect V2 and augmented reality glasses. The starting price point is said to be $299.99 and the Xbox 720 will include some features which its competitors already have such as Blue Ray compatibility.

From a business standpoint there are a couple interesting statements in the document. For one Microsoft expects Sony to release its next generation Playstation in 2013. The company expects the Playstation 4 to be priced at $399 or less and the Wii 2 (or Wii U as it was recently announced) to be priced at $249 or less.

The document looks somewhat unprofessional but it appears to use Microsoft’s Power Point style utilized on other internal memos. It is also a relatively extensive document by someone who knows the business very well, so if it is a fake, it’s convincing. It’s 56 pages long and mentions some employees by name.

Attorney’s for Microsoft have apparently managed to get a lot of the copies removed from the internet, however GameInformer.com kept one which can be downloaded in pdf format here – Microsoft Memo. Check it out for yourself and tell me whether it’s real or fake in the comments section below this article.