GamesBeat weekly roundup: Miitomo hits the U.S., and Final Fantasy XV gets a release date

Welcome to another GamesBeat weekly roundup! This time, we reviewed Microsoft exclusive Quantum Break, the Oculus Rift starts shipping, and we discussed how Muslims are portrayed in gaming.

Happy reading, and have a great weekend!

Pieces of flair and opinion

• Watch us play Quantum Break
• Watch a stop motion video made entirely in Snapchat
• Dark Souls III is coming to VHS, according to this kick-ass April Fools’ joke
• Quantum Break tips and tricks that keep you from getting stuck in time
• Quantum Break gameplay and TV episodes show the blending of interactivity and live action video
• Machine Zone’s Gabe Leydon freaked out East Coast media, now will speak at Mobile Summit
• Intel event highlights college student games that should be published right now
• Hey Microsoft, how many apps are in the Windows Store?
• Oculus Rift vs. Nintendo’s Virtual Boy: A super-serious comparison
• How to bypass the Oculus Store and play SteamVR games on Rift
• Virtual Desktop for Oculus Rift enabled me to spend an entire day in VR without enraging my boss
• 25 years of covering games: My views of then and now
• How the West gets Muslims wrong in video games
• ILMxLab had to fake a 24 frames-per-second lightsaber in 90hz virtual reality
• Is the world really flat when it comes to making games?
• 5 free games to try when you get your Oculus Rift
• Watch Oculus founder Palmer Luckey deliver the first Rift preorder himself

Above: Time to coffee up for September.

Image Credit: Sony

News

• Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch reaches $400K crowdfunding goal on Fig
• Sword Coast Legends studio N-Space closes as publisher determines future for DLC, console releases
• Xbox Live down as some multiplayer features fail to load
• Atlas Reactor shows how its turn-based team tactics game works with open alpha
• Zynga’s Zindagi studio debuts Crazy Cake Swap match-3 game
• Rocket League gets amateur, collegiate, and semi-pro esports competitions
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III Eclipse DLC hits PS4 on April 19
• Dell wants to bring virtual reality to the enterprise
• Standalone Final Fantasy XV demo available now
• Final Fantasy XV is getting its own movie and anime
• Nintendo denies firing Alison Rapp due to pressure from a hate group
• Game engine maker Unity Technologies reportedly raising money at $1.5B valuation
• iFixit dissects Oculus Rift to reveal custom display and new lenses
• Microsoft launches HoloLens emulator so developers can test holographic apps, no headset required
• Final Fantasy XV gets September 30 release date, according to report (update: confirmed)
• Microsoft’s Satya Nadella dances around controversies, but doesn’t challenge any head on
• Microsoft: DirectX 12 has ‘the fastest adoption of any DirectX’ ever
• Microsoft starts shipping its HoloLens augmented reality development kits
• Microsoft brings Universal Windows Platform apps to Xbox One
• Your Xbox One will turn into a devkit this summer with a Windows 10 update
• Microsoft unveils Desktop App Converter, a developer tool for bringing existing Win32 apps to the Windows Store
• Microsoft answers Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney’s fears on Windows 10 openness
• Microsoft unveils Windows 10 Anniversary Update
• Windows 10 is now on over 270 million devices
• Mortal Kombat X enters its third esports season with $500K prize pool
• HTC Vive’s wallpapers put you in Star Trek’s holodeck, Rocket League’s stadium, and more
• Scalpers benefit from Oculus Rift hype — eBay auctions over $1,000
• Heroes of the Storm adds a new character and an esports-friendly feature
• Here are the 2016 nominations for the World Video Game Hall of Fame
• Ubisoft Philippines is the island nation’s first major game studio
• Oculus Rift’s set-up process makes it easy to jump into the world of VR
• Valve uses one of its most beloved games to introduce HTC Vive owners to SteamVR
• Watch someone use glitches to inject Flappy Bird into Super Mario World
• Watch me set up the HTC Vive for room-scale virtual reality
• Oculus Rift starts shipping today to more than 20 countries

Above: Willy Wonka social casino slots game.

Image Credit: Zynga

Mobile and social

• Miitomo is already a hotbed of nasty jokes, sexual innuendo, and Donald Trump
• Miitomo hits No. 1 on U.S. iOS App Store in less than 24 hours
• Playbuzz scores $15 million in funding for sponsored social content
• Disney hopes Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2 will blast its way to success on mobile
• Zynga hopes Willy Wonka slots mobile game will be its golden ticket
• Nintendo’s Miitomo is now live on iOS and Android
• Vainglory developer partners with Twitch to expand esports appeal
• User acquisition costs up 26% in February after January’s drop, Fiksu finds
• Minecraft’s mobile version will be more powerful thanks to command blocks
• Nintendo’s first mobile game Miitomo launches in the U.S. on March 31
• FlowPlay launches All Star Daily Fantasy as alternative to social sports gambling
• Mobile gaming widened its lead over all other game platforms in 2015
• U.S. iPhone users spent an average of $35 on apps last year, most of it on games
• VR Sports, Ninja Trainer reveal VR’s potential for destruction

Previews, reviews, and interviews

• Quantum Break takes interactivity, video, and time travel in a riveting direction
• Miitomo is a clever, Nintendo-like take on Facebook and Line
• Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear embraces the past and present
• Metronomicon is a Western take on Final Fantasy: Theatrhythm
• Audioshield is the best virtual reality game I’ve played yet
• Wevr’s TheBlu delivers a mesmerizing deep sea experience in VR
• Ron Gilbert on Thimbleweed Park, what made adventure games great, and VR skepticism
• Rivals of Aether’s creator details his Smash Bros. inspirations
• Jay and Silent Bob’s Jason Mewes on crowdfunding and pot leaf throwing stars