A brand new report has appeared that hints at an upcoming shift in strategy for Microsoft, which will dispose of the much criticized MS Points system in favor of gift cards and real money transactions.

The change is said to be taking place alongside the release of the Xbox 720 this year.

Microsoft is getting ready to debut its next-generation Xbox console this month, and new reports have begun surfacing on the web.

The Verge has just posted the latest rumor, this time focusing on the MS Points transaction system used on the Xbox Live Marketplace for Xbox 360.

According to the website, Microsoft will get rid of the old system and replace it with a gift card system, much like Apple's iTunes, through which Xbox 720 owners can buy cards that add money to their accounts.

If users want to simply employ credit or debit cards, they can also do that and the new system will work not only on the Xbox Live Marketplace, but also on the Windows App Store and the Windows Phone Store.

The new system is expected to be revealed at E3 2013 and will be rolled out alongside the next-gen Xbox at the end of the year.