Environmental Sustainability of the Games Industry

The environmental sustainability of the game industry is one which has largely been ignored. The power required to run the next-gen consoles is staggering and the waste produced from the games themselves is disgusting. A solution needs to be found.

[syvergy]

Very interesting stuff!

[chrisjc]

Yea. It's hard to grasp the concept of games affecting the environment. Most gamers are wasteful slobs and wouldn't think twice! ;D

[stevedawonder]

I have to say that I had never thought of it this way, has anyone else?

[Clance]

Really insightful, well researched piece... bravo!

[Dimly]

Only time will tell how well this industry will sustain itself as the enviroment slowly degrees. Buy yeah, OnLive could possibly cut down manufacturing costs and emissions.

[Fullish]

Haha thats honestly the first reason i've had why i might be interested in onlive

[chrisjc]

OnLive.....time will tell if it will actually work.

CLOUD POWER!!!!

[Sangria]

I totally agree with the article, however i don't think people should evilize once more video games because of their anti-ecologic influence.
Actually, a lot of entertainments are passively against the ecology.

How many resources are needed to do a movie, including special effects, vehicles, cinema staff, etc...? How is the Nascar / Formula 1 impact on the CO2 emissions? How much Watts eats Undertaker's entrance in each WWE match? How many trees will be killed for the next Harry Potter? How much plastic will be used to cover next Madonna's album?

And it may be even worst if you work for a hypermarket, for example. You will see how much plastic and cardboard are used for every daily delivery for each shop, which will never be recycled. It can become a psychosis in which we can point out many ecological abuses.

However, it may not be conscious or explicit but companies keep working on optimizing it. Less resources used means more profit for companies, explaining the expanding of digital distribution like do Valve, Sony with future PSP titles, Microsoft with movies, etc... And hardwares benefit of those enhancements too, as they tend to consume less power each hardware update.

[STK026]

it's true that entertainment uses ressources, however, pretty much everything these days does. Also, movies use CG alot more than before, which reduces the need for real explosion and stuff. Video games are going for digital distribution. Books can now be purchased digitally. Cars are going hybrid and even electric. Also, plastic, glass and paper is being recycled more than before.

As for electricity, while I'm not saying we should waste it, doesn't have to have an impact on the environment. Not every country uses coal and nuclear power as their main source of energy. And if one day we get to control a nuclear fusion (or is it fission, can't remember...) reactor, we will get a nearly unlimited amount of power, with about no effect on the environment.

[Hands]

HOLY HELL! these environmental bastards do nothing but complain. who really cares how much electricity gaming uses. i love how games are so intertwined with our lives now that we can start worrying about their impact on THE ENVIRONMENT! ARE YOU KIDDING!? articles like these makes a proud, true gamer like myself very upset. on top of games being dumbed down to get more sales they start adding environmentalism into things. thats just what we need, more uninformed peasants who believe in global warming to get involved with gaming. this makes me sick.

[Kinetix]

Who care? As long as beavers don't start making armies it's all good. ;p

[cyclindk]

There's always been an alternative to the more environmentally unfriendly power options and that's Green Electricity (renewable non-polluting energy sources), i.e. wind and solar energy.

It's not the device that's at fault, it's the power companies that are responsible.. the perpetuators of unclean energy sources in spite of all the detrimental effects that rise as a result.