I was going to write about how great the dog days of summer usually are for video gamers. I wanted to say nothing is more satisfying than bringing home that awesome new release and sitting down under the protection of air conditioning on a scorching hot day for some cool gaming bliss.

The only problem is, I can’t find a database searchable by year and month to give any specific examples.

But for some reason, summer marks the primo gaming situation. Television shows are in reruns, school is out, it’s too friggin’ hot outside to attempt any physical activity, days are longer, allergies keeping you indoors; any one of those is a great environment for gaming. Maybe that’s why I always have a fondness for this time of the year. Perhaps it’s back in my youth when I used to go to computer camp (let the jokes ensue) and trade games with my friends, or playing Summer Games on my C64 during all-night slumber parties.

But even as of last year, we got some big-name releases in the summer. This is something I found interestingly absent from this year’s E3 – everything was priming for the holiday season. Even the Xbox 360, which saw a blistering amount of top-shelf titles in March and April, is almost completely void of any releases until Battle for Middle Earth II in July. It’s almost depressing.

Not that I’d be able to partake in any summer gaming festivities, because my new daughter doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. Hey, at least one can dream…