New “stripped-down” Xbox 360 coming in 2013

It seems Microsoft isn’t about to leave the 360 hanging just yet. Details have emerged regarding a new model of the 360, with this one removing features in order to focus on the Kinect and Xbox Live Arcade aspects of the console, probably in an attempt to market the console to the more casual gaming crowd. The new 360 will be “priced competitively with Apple TV”, meaning this model might go on sale for $100 or less.

Pundits are predicting the next version of Kinect will come around 2015, and Microsoft has stated that in 2012 they’ll focus exclusively on Xbox 360. In other words, an “Xbox 720″ may not be as close as you think.

What do you guys think? Is this a good move, or is Microsoft wasting time that could be better spent developing a new console?