One small bit of rumor has been floating around the BlizzCon floor the last couple days: that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be released in 2011. We hear these kinds of rumors all the time, and don't give them very much Pet Forest Gold credence.
Now a targeted release date should be clearly understood for what it is. It is a date that Blizzard wants to ship their game, nothing more, nothing less.
Whatever date is up on Game Stop (November 1st, 2011) or Amazon or wherever are just placeholder dates until they start to change or we hear from trusted sources that the dates are correct.
It means that they have a plan and schedule to get the game ready by then. But as everyone knows, long term schedules can and do change. Please limit the QQ if we don't see Cataclysm next year. But this time, things are a little bit different.