The Inconvenient Truth Of Buying Video Games?

What do you consider when shopping for a new video game console?

The games available for the console? How much it will cost you?

What about the ethical impact of your choices?

Do you weigh what the creation of that console does to the environment, whether it was built in sweat shops or contains supplies sold to fund wars?

[nickjkl]

now i feel sad

thanks alot kotaku ruining my day of good news

[NecrumSlavery]

Do you weigh what the creation of that console does to the environment, whether it was built in sweat shops or contains supplies sold to fund wars?

-Playstation 3 has Folding@HOME which has been a great help with cell and protein research at Stanford University. I sometimes turn it on and let my daughter play around, while my PS3 is contributing to the medical and scientific community. It is not made in a sweat shop. The Japanese are not allowed to wage war or fight offensively by law since the end of World War II. Does my system check out? Does it make the cut?

[playstation_clan]

i hate you *cries*

[rezzah]

This is reality, accept it.

[Meowhammad]

Not my reality, lol.

[games4fun]

hopefully the hours i spent folding@home helped in some way. I feel that the next set of consoles should have more functions which give back. Sony did a pretty good job of it but i hope Nintendo/Msoft follow suit. And Sony continues it with the ps4.

Folding@home and apps like it should be there.

As well as gaming friendly options like making your console a dedicated server while your off of it to help gamers play a more stable game. (like some sony games did.)

Edit: the hardware is there why not take advantage?

[NecrumSlavery]

bubbles for being a grateful gamer....

I read somewhere last year the Wii is the worst on the environment.

**I know this is off topic a bit, but I really like how a new 360 controller smells. Has that dashboard plastic meets new car smell.*

[Darkstorn]

It is the developer's job to create immersive and innovative experiences for us all.

It is the publisher's job to find sustainable ways to produce and market our video games.

More pressure should be put on publishers to conform to environmental standards and embrace the rights of workers.

[outrageous]

Anyone who is not familiar with what is discussed in this article is in denial. Recently a factory in Asia actually had workers jumping from the factory roof top and committing suicide to protest the working conditions in the factory. This factory produces high end electronics for M$, Sony and Apple to name a few. They ( workers ) receive, I believe something like $130 ( AVG ) a month in wages with forced overtime. There are changes being made now, one of them involves MOVING the factory to a new location in a new country.

This kind of thing has been going on forever. Electronics, clothes etc...Most, some may argue ALL things you buy nowadays is made outside of North America, usually in sweat shops in Asia and around the world where there are no worker rights.

What's the solution??? There is no quick fix for this problem and you can expect it to get much worse. It's a battle as old as recorded history between the haves and the have nots. Those with the power only want more power and money. Can we make better choices who/what/where and when a company deserves our money...sure. Are they telling you the whole truth and nothing but the truth about where that money is going...NO.

Small is the number of people who see with there eyes and think with there minds-Einstein

[rezzah]

Its the sad truth about the world, but no matter how much you try on your own you will never make a impact. Nothing will change until the higher-ups want to make a change. Unless the country as a whole makes a stand...but you will never see that happen. People do not care unless they themselves are affected.

[Darkstorn]

I wouldn't be so cynical.

Many of the young idealists of this generation will grow up to be people who will truly make a difference for the world's people, and many will go into government or international relations. Not all politicians are soulless and despondent.

[Jrome]

We keep on saying this...yet it keeps on getting worse.

[dizzleK]

the people in charge now were the idealistic hippies a few decades ago. things are the worst they've pretty much ever been. all your idealism goes out the window once you get a taste of power and "get yours".

[Jason143]

same with every little thing.

[barakiu]

instead of some uproar over supporting developers, why are people so quite about those that starve to death on a daily basis?

[rezzah]

Think about it, uproar about developers probably will end with a better game.

Uproar about people starving, will cause a change in our lives as we know it. Of course thats only if enough stand up to create that change for a better world. Even if we do "care" its not the type of care to actually want to make a change. Because that change will create a chance in our own lives.

[Dac2u]

So, anytime we support anything, we should change the subject and shout about how there are starving kids in Africa? I can see it now:
Person 1: "I like that new phone service." barakiu: "BUT THERE ARE STARVING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!"
Person 1: "The Red Sox are doing alright this year?" barakiu: "YA, BUT DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE STARVING PEOPLE?"

Also, you steal games because of people that starve to death? That's weird...

[NecrumSlavery]

it's what bono would want

[Meowhammad]

The Inconvenient Truth About Me: I truly don't care.

[Anon7349]

.

[Darkstorn]

'Meowhammad' is also an idiot. What you don't care about can and will come back to bite you in the ass. Ignorance ain't bliss, bro.

[AliTheBrit19]

Wow

Its as simple as this

Get both..... or all 3? but personally I see a big different between what the Xbox 360 & PS3 offers and what the Wii offers, the Wii doesn't offer anything I want.

Both the 360 and PS3 do, so I get them both :)

[Abriael]

Another tabloid-like sensationalistic article from Kotaku. Move on, nothing to see here.