At this moment in time, all I can really say is that I don't understand some of the artificial results that some sites have been leaking. They're putting the 6970 on par with the 570 (or 480, which is what it really is under the bonnet) and the 6950 bridging the 460->570 gap.
A bit different to some of the fantastic numbers a colleague was getting a while ago, which I've witnessed, but it could be something to do with release/review revisions and last minute changes. Should have perhaps waited til after christmas if it's the case.