GamesBeat weekly roundup: Xbox One coming Nov. 22, Sony possibly dabbling in virtual reality

This week, Microsoft revealed the Xbox One is launching Nov. 22 (a week after the PlayStation 4), gamers spent $2.88 billion on games in the second quarter, and video production studio Area 5 releases its I Am Street Fighter documentary on YouTube. We also take an in-depth look at what the Xbox One’s cloud features will be good for, and what it might stink at.

You’ll also find reviews for Puppeteer, Outlast, Rome: Total War II, and Killzone: Mercenaries.

News:

• The DeanBeat: Cloud gaming gives companies more room to maneuver
• Microsoft and Sony finally put their console cards on the table
• Pokémon Bank enables players to store pocket monsters in the cloud
• Xbox One launches Nov. 22; Microsoft boosts console CPU speed
• Watch ‘I Am Street Fighter’ — the beloved fighting-game franchise’s 25th anniversary documentary
• Beyond Madden: Microsoft, ESPN, and NFL turn the Xbox into a football box

Mobile news:

• Activision releases Call of Duty: Strike Team for iOS
• SGN goes on a hiring spree as it expands into mobile games
• Analysts expect China’s mobile game market to surpass $1.2B in 2013
• Kabam to publish Chinese hit Wartune on mobile in the West

Announcements and reveals:

• NPD report: U.S. gamers spent $2.88 billion on games in the second quarter of 2013
• GamesBeat 2013 speaker highlight: Oculus VR’s Brendan Iribe to address disrupting the traditional game cycle
• Saints Row IV’s dubstep gun gets additional tracks in downloadable content
• Creative Assembly to release patch to improve Total War: Rome II’s performance
• New Pokémon X and Y-themed 3DS XL systems launch later this month
• Xbox One’s Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is $40 and multiplayer only

Tech:

• Xbox Video getting improved content discovery from Jinni movie search engine
• What Xbox One’s cloud is good for — and what it might stink at
• Microsoft shows its Xbox One consoles are rolling off the production line
• Researcher says a neurogame can improve multitasking skills
• PlayStation 4 VR: Rumor claims Sony is working on virtual-reality headset
• The PS4 can do voice recognition through the PlayStation camera

All this funding:

• Shantae developer crowdfunding sequel for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and more

Acquisitions incorporated:

• PlayFirst scoops up social targeting firm in acqui-hire (exclusive)

Trailer hoedown:

• Xbox One video demonstrates NFL features on Microsoft’s next-gen console
• 14 minutes of open-world Watch Dogs gameplay
• Xbox One’s Ryse features combat with ‘rhythm and flow’

Above: It’ll take more than an apple to keep this doctor away.

Image Credit: Red Barrels Games

Reviews:

• Puppeteer’s endearing whimsy makes it worth the price of admission (review)
• The inmates are running the asylum in Outlast, and they’re terrifying (review)
• Killzone: Mercenary brings console quality first-person shooting to the Vita (review)
• With Total War: Rome II, you can conquer the world and watch the replay

Pieces of flair: 

• Dr. Wily’s castle from Mega Man would cost $113 million if it were real
• 14 must-read survival tips for Splinter Cell: Blacklist’s ‘Spies vs. Mercs’
• 11 notable MOBAs of the past, present, and future
• BioShock Infinite’s Columbia re-created in Disney Infinity
• Ultima Forever’s missing women warriors are a sign of Mythic’s future improvements