Is Internet Gaming Eco-Friendly?

Although it may be safe to assume that the vast majority of hardcore Internet gamers aren’t the least bit concerned about the environmental impact of their habit, there are some gamers out there that are curious if their hobby is eco-friendly. I’m one of those gamers.

The video game industry has evolved significantly since the days of Pong. Yes, I am old enough to remember playing Pong. Back in my Pong days, we’d plug the massive console into the television and marvel at the awesomeness of the game. Today, we keep the much smaller Playstation 3 plugged in to the even larger (albeit flat) television and continue to marvel at the awesomeness of the game du jour.

In contrast to my Pong days, I now have the ability to play some of today’s most popular games on my desktop computer or even my MacBook. I don’t even have to leave the house to get these games, I can simply log on to one of the many e-tailers offering digital downloads. After a recent download, I wondered if Internet gaming today is more eco-friendly than it was just a few years ago.

Let’s take a look at the evolution of Internet gaming over the past decade or so. Twelve years ago, when I was knee-deep in an all-girls Quake II clan, computer games were packaged in large 8-x10-inch cardboard boxes. The games were on multiple compact discs, came with printed manuals that were as big as books and sometimes had chunky plastic casing. None of these materials were recycled because, quite frankly, the recycling infrastructure wasn’t as good as it is now. Instead, all of these materials were simply thrown into the trash.

Fast-forward a few years and someone realized that the large boxes were wasteful and began to make boxes that are much smaller, roughly 5×7 inches. Right around this time, DVDs also became the media of choice for games. This cut down on the need for 15 CDs and thus reduced waste. This also allowed game manufacturers to put the manuals onto the DVDs themselves and simply include a small quick-start guide. Right there, waste was significantly reduced.

Today, there is no need for a box, a quick-start guide or a DVD. Instead, games can be downloaded directly from an e-tailer. You don’t have to get in the car and drive to your local game store. You don’t have to order a copy from an online site that is then delivered in a big, gas-hogging brown truck. You simply download the game, save it on your local hard drive and you’re good to go.

The waste generated from video and Internet gaming has been significantly reduced during my lifetime as a gamer. Now if only hardware manufacturers could do something about the energy-hogging systems we use to play these games…