How the video games industry is faring

On Thursday, Microsoft became the first major video game company to report earnings for the most recent quarter. Microsoft's results cover the April-June period, though many companies in the industry have fiscal quarters that depart from that.

Last week, research firm NPD Group reported that U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell for a seventh consecutive month. The latest monthly report comes as companies in the video games industry prepare to release their earnings reports for the latest quarter.

Here's a look at reports and results for selected companies that make or sell video games. Dates for many companies, including Electronic Arts Inc., are not yet known.

- July 12: NPD Group reports that U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell 29 percent in June to $700 million. It's the seventh consecutive month of decline. Sales of console and portable software - the video games themselves - fell 29 percent from a year earlier, while sales of hardware fell 45 percent. Sales of accessories grew 4 percent. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending.

- Thursday: Microsoft Corp. says it sold 1.1 million Xbox 360 consoles, down from 1.7 million a year earlier, in what it calls a soft console market. Membership in its Xbox Live service increased more than 15 percent.

Coming up:

- July 25: Nintendo Co.

- July 31: Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

- Aug. 2: Sony Corp., Activision Blizzard Inc.