Xbox Boss isn’t a fan of ‘Brand Tribalism’

Phil Spencer says the console war is over

Talkative Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer says brand tribalism is a big problem in the games industry, and says it’s the kind of thing that could drive him away from the business.

He doesn't really think that the major platforms are even competing against each other as much as their own self-destructive tendencies: “We’re in the entertainment business. The biggest competitor we have is apathy over the products and services, games that we build,” Spencer told The Verge.

No deathmatch: “We know there are millions and millions of people that are going to end up with a Switch, a PlayStation, and an Xbox in their home. Those are great customers.” Spencer doesn't regard the industry as a zero-sum game where the winner takes all and thinks a dynamic like that would hurt everyone, especially the customers.

Friendly rivals: He added that Microsoft doesn't see Sony as an opponent, since they are actually “a partner of ours, frankly, in a lot of different places.” In other words, there isn't really any console war and Spencer is tired of the concept: “I just really despise it.”

Which Fallout 3 DLC completely changes the ending?

a) The Pitt
b) Broken Steel
c) Operation: Anchorage
d) Mothership Zeta

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Honk if you hate traffic cones

Sega Rally 2 featured an odd mini game that you're very unlikely to find on your own, unless you hate traffic cones and enjoy driving the wrong way in racing games.

There are two red traffic cones in the corner of the final turn on the Riviera track. If you knock them over and then turn the car around to drive in the wrong direction, you will see a tunnel has opened. Drive down it to start a minigame where you have to knock over as many traffic cones as you can.

Join our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today's fact.

Marvel’s Avengers is not profitable just yet

Square Enix's latest financial report reveals that Marvel's Avengers did not do particularly well, and has yet to recoup its budget.

The HD Games division posted a net loss as a result of the low sales, but Square Enix remains confident that they will “make up for slow initial sales by offering ample additional content” and increase sales in the second half of the financial year. So far, the Marvel's Avengers has struggled to retain its players.

Strong year: Overall, Square Enix had a good year, with net sales up 43% and operating income up 98.9% year-on-year. The Digital Entertainment division by itself, which handles all video games, was even healthier, with net sales up 66.8% and operating income up 102%.

Big forecast: Final Fantasy VII Remake has sold very well, and the number of Final Fantasy XIV subscribers has grown too. Square Enix is optimistic about the remainder of the financial year, and expects even more growth in all their market segments.

Pokémon remake rumoured Nov. 2021

There are rumours that The Pokémon Company is remaking older Pokémon games, which will allegedly appear before the end of 2021.

The rumours don't say anything about which games are supposedly being remade, but fans have been clamouring for updated versions of Pokémon Pearl & Diamond. The source code for both games leaked earlier this years, and suggested that there are versions named Pokémon Max Pearl & Max Diamond.

Just whispers: The webmaster of French Pokémon fan site Pokekalos said: “You're going to have your remake next November, stop complaining" and listed The Pokémon Company's 2021 release schedule.

Snap remake: What's certain is that New Pokémon Snap – a remake of the Nintendo 64 game – is coming, along with Pokémon Unite, Detective Pikachu 2 and apparently a ‘mainline Pokémon remake’.

• Red Dead Online goes stand-alone on December 1st with the Bounty Hunters expansion
• Free Xbox Live Gold games for December revealed to be The Raven Remastered and Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell
• Fortnite Crew subscription pass launches on December 2nd for $11.99 / €11.99 a month, including a Battle Pass
• Mario and Peach are the most popular Mario Kart racers according to analytics, while Rainbow Road is the top course
• Bethesda posts patch notes for Fallout 76: Steel Dawn as the Brotherhood of Steel returns to the wasteland a week earlier than expected

Which Fallout 3 DLC completely changes the ending?

ANSWER: Broken Steel!

Fallout 3’s original ending caused a bit of a ruckus back in the day. Sacrificing yourself to save Projected Purity in an irradiated room wasn’t terribly exciting, especially if you had the radiation-proof super-mutant Fawkes in your party. Unless you had Broken Steel installed, Fawkes would simply say that it’s your destiny to suffer death by radiation. Thanks, destiny!

But if you have the expansion, you can send Fawkes in your place. Even if you decide to go yourself, your destiny will be to head to the Enclave and finish the rest of the main quest. That’s a pretty drastic change considering everything that leads up to your noble sacrifice, but hey – at least you get another chance to finish the Wasteland Survival Guide!

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey.

We hope you've enjoyed today's issue DailyBits! Please feel free to send any feedback over to team@dailybits.news. Thank You!