How long until next gen consoles are in development?

So far Nintendo are the only company to have finished developing (probably some tweaks left) a new console set to ship next year without any real news that Microsoft or Sony are in actual development of a brand new console. The Wii U controller looks very interesting and to me is much more appealing as a console than the Wii ever was. From a gamer's point of view the hardware in the Wii U brings it up to par with the competition and is what the Wii should've been from the start, much like the 360 slim over past designs. But no one can fault Nintendo's marketing plan for the Wii having sold such huge amount of hardware even though both the PS3 & 360 had a head start http://nexgenwars.com/ just check out these numbers! Compared to Sony's marketing plan for example which was a gamble, with an underpowered console they've achieved alot with it and changed the industry for some time to come and the way we game. But here's the point, the Wii was completely underpowered for gamers to really take it seriously as their prime console, something that need's a novelty to keep you amused, so can we now class the Wii U as truly 'next gen'?

For me it's a yes and no answer. In the sense that it's the next generation of console for Nintendo yes, but for the gaming industry, that's a no from me. The Wii U has caught up with the competition hardware wise but it's done it too late in the game in my eyes because of course, as the subject denotes, we're all now anticipating the true next gen leap in consoles from Microsoft and Sony. Which as i'm sure we all hope, will dwarf their present consoles which would evidently do the same with the Wii U because it came too late. But there is the saving grace for the Wii U in the meantime in that their new controller is just that, new, something different for now at least to spark fresh excitement about gaming once again as they did with the Wii but as with the Wii, once the competition has reacted they'll have to be sure a novelty factor doesn't affect it's long term prospects. It'll be a sought of tablet to accompany your console for which i'm sure will have developers itching to play around with it in future games, as you may have heard it's attracted many developers and their franchises back to Nintendo.

However in my eyes this won't have quite the same impact as the Wii controller since the Kinect and Playstation Move (pfft) have already closed the door on the 'motion sensor war' between the consoles, i don't think this new controller will overshadow them especially the Kinect. I can see Sony and Microsoft perhaps making a cheap tablet style controller to with their next gen consoles perhaps having your home screen on there while playing so you can do two things at once and possibly to entice people to buy the real thing. From what i know Sony's plan for the PS3 was very long term, having made a significant loss on each console sold until recent slimmed down models they gambled to push Blu Ray into the market whilst the competition has invested in cheaper HD downloads/streaming. So i don't expect a new console until 2015 from Sony but they could start development from next year, taking their time to make it more cost efficient this time around. Microsoft i think will be the next to move with a console out i'd say by 2013, the 360 is the oldest of the three and has now been pushed to it's maximum to keep up with the PS3. To stay relevant as the PS3 is pushed further and further edging ahead of the 360 to stay relevant they must design a new console which given the timing will be at the forefront of the market and i hope (as i'm sure you do) will be more reliable that the 360. NO RED RING OF DEATH PLEASE! lol

What are you thoughts on this and have you heard any news on Microsoft or Sony being in development of a next gen console other than blind rumours, something actually backed up with say an internal source?