The oft-rumored Amazon set-top box has been delayed once again, according to a report from The Verge:

Amazon has been been rushing to finalize and release a set-top box in time for the holidays, designed to compete directly with the Apple TV and Roku. However, The Verge has learned that the company recently made the decision to delay the device, possibly beyond the holiday season

Of course, the ultimate goal of most companys eyeing major products launches is to have their new products available for the big shopping season. This delay would prevent Amazon from competing in the streaming device game this year, which is surely a disappointment for all involved.

Amazon’s set-top box has been rumored for a long time, but the most-recent report from the WSJ indicated that Amazon was eyeing a by-Christmas launch for the device.

Amazon’s set-top box reportedly looks something like a Roku, and will stream video and music. The video offerings won’t just come from Amazon, as the box will support third-party apps like Netflix. Oh, and there are also reports that Amazon is looking to add gaming to its capabilities. In the end, Amazon wants to complete with the likes of Roku, AppleTV, and even gaming consoles that people are increasingly using as their go-to portals for streaming content.

Around the time of the WSJ’s report, a Canadian trademark filing was unearthed and suggested that Amazon was working on something called a “Firetube” – an obvious portmanteau of the Kindle Fire and “tube,” as in the boob tube, as in TV. Whether or not the Amazon set-top box is indeed called the Firetube, it appears that Amazon is having a harder time than they thought they would getting everything in order for a launch.

Image via Robert Scoble, Flickr Creative Commons