Looking Beyond E3, Microsoft Teases Major Plans for Gamescom

Later this month, the focus of the gaming world will be on E3 in Los Angeles, but that's not the only gaming show this summer. Xbox company Microsoft has now said it preparing to have a major presence at Gamescom in Germany this August, promising a breadth of content as significant as what we'll see at E3.

"We should have as much new content at Gamescom as we will at E3," Xbox boss Phil Spencer said to a fan on Twitter who asked if Microsoft would be holding some major reveals for Gamescom.

Spencer didn't elaborate further about Microsoft's plans for Gamescom, which will be held this year in Cologne, Germany August 5-9. Unlike E3, Gamescom is open to the public, and historically draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands.

This news may not come as much of a surprise, as Microsoft has a history of making blockbuster reveals and announcements at Gamescom.

Just last year, Microsoft announced Rise of the Tomb Raider's Xbox exclusivity during the show. Other significant announcements out of Gamescom from Microsoft have included a 1TB Xbox One console and a white Sunset Overdrive system, among other things.

Competitor Sony held a Gamescom briefing last year, but the company will not do so this year. This would, in theory at least, give Microsoft an opportunity to capture more attention than in previous years.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has talked up its Gamescom showing. The company previously said that its 90-minute E3 show won't include everything it wants to talk about, meaning some reveals will be saved for Gamescom.

"This year, we have an amazing games lineup to share (who knew it'd be so hard to pack all of our exclusive E3 premieres into an hour and a half?)," Microsoft said last month. "So we're saving a lot of exciting reveals for Gamescom in August."

Microsoft's E3 2015 briefing is set for two weeks from today, on Monday, June 15 at 9:30 AM PDT. GameSpot will bring you all the news from the event as it's announced. For more on E3 2015, check out GameSpot's complete roundup of all the dates and times for every E3 briefing.

What are you hoping to see from Microsoft at E3 and Gamescom? Let us know in the comments below.