Noted Microsoft blogger says new ARM-powered console will ship late next year and focus on "arcade-style games" and Kinect applications; "true successor" coming sometime after.

Microsoft will have new hardware for gamers next year, but it won't be a next-generation console, according to noted anonymous Microsoft blogger MS Nerd. The information hound wrote on Reddit that Microsoft will ship a stripped-down Xbox in late 2013.

Like this, but presumably thinner, says MS Nerd.

The blogger further posits that the ARM-powered console will focus on "Arcade-style games" and Kinect applications. The technology will be "price-competitive" with Apple TV, which currently retails for $100.

MS Nerd further suggests that the "true successor" to the Xbox 360 will ship sometime after, with the next revision of the Kinect due around 2015.

A Microsoft representative issued GameSpot the following statement:

"Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation."

Gamers aren't likely to have official word soon, as Microsoft has previously confirmed that it will not bring new Xbox hardware to the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, with 2012 being "all about Xbox 360."

For more on rumors concerning the Xbox 360 successor, check out GameSpot's rumor roundup feature.

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