According to the latest issue of Famitsu, Microsoft Japan will be making an announcement in July during which it will reveal new third-party publishers and game titles for the Xbox 360 aimed at the Japanese market. A representative from the company told the magazine that "there could be some major surprises" at the conference.

July also happens to be the month when Sony traditionally holds its annual PlayStation meeting. While Sony hasn't announced one for this year, it's likely that the company will be having the event as usual, given the PlayStation 3's release next spring. Though it is unlikely that Sony will announce the PS3's release date or price, it's quite possible that additional games for the console will be revealed.

If Sony does not hold a PlayStation event in July, gamers will likely have to wait two more months for another look at the PS3. In a strategy conference last year, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi said that the PS3 should be exhibited in playable format at this year's Tokyo Game Show, which will take place September 16 to 18 in Tokyo.

Nintendo, the wild card in the next-gen race, hasn't announced any events for the summer. However, the company tends to make major announcements during this season. In August 2003, Nintendo announced that it was developing a "unique new product," which ended up being the Revolution. It was in August 2004 that the company revealed the official name and hardware design for the Nintendo DS.