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Wii U rumoured for November 11 launch, future Xbox may be delayed and more next-gen hearsay

As the kids go back to school and that slight chill creeps into the air, another sign of the holidays being only a few months away appears: more concrete rumours about the next-generation console expected to launch for this holiday season.

And while Nintendo's Wii U is the only "next-generation" console expected out this year, that doesn't stop the rumour mill for the newest and most advanced home gaming consoles from churning. It's clear that people are beginning to get anxious for new systems and with good reason: it's been six years since the launch of the Nintendo Wii and the Playstation 3, and seven years since the launch of the Xbox 360. Here's a roundup of some of the latest rumours in the world of next-generation gaming:

Nintendo Wii U

Earlier this week, a leak from the website Video Product Distributors reportedly listed three Wii U bundles on its intranet, along with the associated prices and a November 11 release date. According to CNET, very few details were listed about the bundles, listed only by names like "WIIU SYSTEM — GM — 11/11/12." The three bundles are listed at price points of $249.99, $299.99 and $349.99. CNET 's gaming editors speculate that the bundle prices seem about right for what would be expected, and they anticipate the base bundle would include a copy of Nintendoland and a tablet, while the other bundles could include an additional tablet and Wiimotes.

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As for games, those who weren't satisfied with the launch titles announced at E3 may now have something else to look forward to: a source at Nintendo Japan is reporting that Link will be coming to the Wii U in a Legend of Zelda game, but not until 2014. Edge Online reports the source as saying the game will resemble previous Zelda game Skyward Sword, but will be more expensive and have a bigger scope than any of the previous Zelda titles.

The good news is for Nintendo fans, it won't be much longer until we find out some more concrete details about the release of the Wii U: Nintendo has announced they'll be holding an event on September 12 that they have characterized as a "Wii U Preview."

Next-generation Xbox

Whether you call it by its codename — "Durango" — or just "Xbox 720" for a sense of continuity, one thing seems certain: we're not likely to know exactly when it'll be here for a little while yet. BGR reports that there may be issues with the production of the new Xbox's AMD processor, codenamed "Oban." While it was rumoured to be launching for holiday 2013, this rumoured delay could push it back to 2014.

When it does eventually get here, though, the next-generation Xbox could be capable of some pretty nifty things, if some of the other rumours are true. Forbes reports it will supposedly come loaded with the Windows 8 operating system and a developer's kit sold on eBay in August corroborates the rumour.

PlayStation 4

In an interview with Polygon, gaming retailer GameStop's CEO Paul Raines discussed some of the rumours he's heard in the last week about the anticipated launches of the next-generation of gaming consoles. According to Raines, he's expecting the Wii U this year, another console in 2013, and another one in 2014.

"This week, I'm getting a lot of rumors that are very interesting about 2013," Raines told Polygon. "We have not been expecting two more consoles in 2013. We're expecting Wii U this holiday, another one next year, and another one in '14. These rumours change every week, but we're hearing more about next year."

Raines doesn't go into the rumours he's heard, therefore it's hard to say if he's talking about the chip shortage pushing back the next-generation Xbox to 2014. But it does at least narrow down the time frame for the PS4's release.

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One last tidbit this week which gives an indication of what the future of home gaming will look like. EA Labels president Frank Gibeau has been talking up EA's future recently, Digital Trends reports, and when talking about next-generation console games, he had this to say about the future of single-player games from EA:

"I have not green lit one game to be developed as a single player experience," said Gibeau in a Digital Trends story. "Today, all of our games include online applications and digital services that make them live 24/7/365."

Whether other game companies will follow suit remains to be seen. For now, we'll have to settle with finding out what Nintendo has planned for the Wii U on September 13.