The relationship between waste and the video game industry
(Wired, 2020)
Introduction:
In this blog I will be examining the relationship between the various types of waste and the video game industry with each section having a heading. I will analyse and explain many issues such as planned obsolescence and the extraction of raw materials from gaming devices and consoles amongst many others. I will explain any environmental or video game jargon used in this blog to help further communicate my point and to achieve an understanding with readers. I am also going to discuss what changes need to be implemented by the video game industry to prevent such widespread damage to the environment. The planet’s temperature is increasing at a substantial rate which is extremely detrimental to us as humans and other species therefore it is salient that we take extreme measures to prevent this from occurring.
Mini-Bibliography:
Wired. (2020) Next-Gen Gaming Is an Environmental Nightmare. [Online image] [Date Accessed 30th April 2021] https://www.wired.com/story/xbox-playstation-cloud-gaming-environment-nightmare/
Planned obsolescence:
One of the largest issues that has plagued the video games industry is that of planned obsolescence and how that has affected the environment. What this means is the designing process and idea behind a product’s usage and life span is pre-determined so that it eventually becomes obsolete after a period of time with the intention or expectation being that the consumer will purchase another version of said product. This entails many things some examples of this are sports games, video game packaging and console life span among other things.
Sports games:
The majority of sports games such as the immensely popular FIFA series are released on an annual basis with minor improvements between instalments. In terms of waste this is disastrous as due to their eventual obsolete nature these games are not disposed of correctly or remain on store shelves taking up space at an extremely low price. Furthermore, during their time when they are relevant because of their popularity when the next new instalment is released there are large quantities of people with these old games who wish to get rid of them and so the scale of this problem is significant. In terms of ethics this is clearly reprehensible as the game companies could release these titles on a less frequent basis or even update the roster of players to the most current one in a free online update as the new player roster is one of the most salient reasons why consumers continue to purchase these games each year. This is not a consideration by game companies due to their reliance on capitalism and so financial gain takes precedence over both consumers and most importantly environmental waste. These game companies have the power over consumers as due to the staggering popularity of these sports games as they are aware people will continue to buy these games regardless of their ethics or solely offering minor improvements. The company Sega has gone against the grain with its Football Manager 2020 game in this online article explains the “packaging featured reinforced, 100% recycled gatefold cardboard sleeve, made with 100% recycled fibres”, a recycled paper manual, vegetable and water-based ink, and recyclable shrink wrap” (Eurogamer, 2020). Considering this is a Japanese company it is understandable as to why they would do this as recycling and not littering is taken very seriously in Japan. The success of this has yet to be seen as enough time has not passed however if it is successful in not affecting the high-quality aesthetic look this will encourage other companies to follow suit as well.
Mini-Bibliography:
Wales, M. (2020) ‘Sega Europe introducing 100% recyclable packaging for all its physical PC games’ Eurogamer. [Online] 30th January. [Accessed on 30th April 2021] https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-01-30-sega-europe-introducing-100-percent-recyclable-packaging-for-all-its-physical-pc-games
Video game packaging:
The way video games are packaged and the materials in use during the process continues to be an issue with video games for the past 20 years being going from carboard boxes to plastic cases. In terms of waste these game cases are often not recycled correctly and are simply thrown away or left taking up space in peoples homes. In addition, to this due to the size of the game cases the amount of plastic that is used in the manufacturing process is substantial and could be used instead in other fields where it is more of a necessity and less quantities are required. This issue should be prioritised due to the amount of carbon emissions that occur during the production process of plastic. In terms of ethics the size of game packing is an issue as regardless of if these companies care about the environment and the planet, they continue to produce large packaging. This is due to two reasons with the first being that they have to have enough space to showcase the cover art on the front to attract consumers and write information on the back of the game such as what it includes, who it is published by, copyright information etc.). This text all has to be large enough to be deemed readable by consumers so they can understand what they are about to purchase. The second reason is a large game case that feels large or weighty, gives consumers the impression of a premium product and even distinguishable when looking from afar. Therefore, even if smaller cases could be produced to reduce the case proportion down to the disc or cartridge size it will never reach that outcome as game companies value the aesthetic look and feel of their products. In this Ted Talk by Emily De Sousa which was uploaded on the 3rd of April 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UqkgRGPqsk (TEDx Talks, 2018: 3min 10) she explains how our fast consumerist lifestyle and routines contributed to the wide use of plastic for products and then goes on to showcase the amount of plastic that has gone to waste in terms of sheer weight with her saying it has worsened to such a stage that it is the equivalent to a billion elephants. This is an example of how due to our circumstances such as working long hours, this kind of environmentally detrimental behaviour is justified when it has no right to be in our current society many innovations exist and so an alternative to plastic can always be found if given an adequate amount of attention and priority. This is salient as in order for future generations to live comfortably, careless use of plastic must become seldom.
Mini-Bibliography:
Tedx Talks. (2018) A drop in a plastic ocean: how one person can make a difference. | Emily De Sousa | TEDxKanata. [Online video] [Accessed on 1st May] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UqkgRGPqsk
Console life span:
The life span of consoles is considered very salient as not only do they have to be reliable machines but last for at least 5–7 years in terms of remaining technologically impressive and have new games being released for them. As for consoles that no longer work and are unwanted, they are a growing cause for concern in the environmental landscape. In terms of waste often what occurs is raw materials are extracted from gaming consoles in poorer third world countries and then the remaining parts of the console are disposed of in a dangerous manner. Furthermore, even the manufacturing process of game consoles releases harmful carbon dioxide known as CO2 emissions into the air which showcases that different materials or methods need to be employed in the future to prevent further emissions from being released. This goes to show that regardless of if gaming consoles are being manufactured or disposed of, both acts possess a negative impact on the environment. In addition, to this climate change is occurring worldwide which simply means the typical temperature or conditions in a place is changing from its original form due to the temperature of the earth rising as a result of various types of waste. In terms of ethics, this is preposterous and inhumane as not only is the planet being negatively impacted for future generations, but the fact that the disposal of game consoles takes place in poorer third world countries with less rights given to their citizens means they are exploited into doing this by game companies despite it being dangerous and sadly has been a common practise for a long duration of time. To extend the life span of consoles would be beneficial to the environment as the rate of obsolescence and disposal would decrease.
Mini-Bibliography:
EPA. (2021) Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, 1990–2019 (no date). [Online] [Accessed on 3rd May 2021] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Online gaming:
Online gaming has existed in the past to varying degrees of success however it was until the arrival of the Xbox 360 in 2005 that it surged in popularity and as of today many games are online only. In terms of waste this has had a negative impact on the environment as the amount of energy being used by the internet connection is substantial. Furthermore, running and maintaining the servers for these games often which run for many years also affects the planet. In addition, to this with the introduction of cloud gaming in the past few years which involves streaming a game using the Internet instead is even more harmful and can increase an individuals carbon footprint to a gargantuan level. In terms of ethics, online gaming is damaging to the environment but compared to the other aspects of gaming that contribute waste this is more understandable as it not only allows friends from across the world to connect with each other socially while gaming but is a significant portion of the gaming industry still in 2021 and so online gaming will never be stop. In terms of change the use of solar panels or wind chimes instead would generate clean energy instead and this adoption by the public would help the planet. This method would also apply to the electricity required to power the console and tv as well. When discussing an online video game, this online newspaper article states “when someone sits down to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, they’re still emitting carbon even though they’re at home, mostly through data centres and their home’s electricity” (The Guardian, 2020). This goes to show the extent to which damage to the planet is occurring unbeknownst to the online players which makes sense in this context. This is due to the game mentioned in this online newspaper article being a simulator game which means it streams in information using the online console service such as live flights timings and weather conditions. Therefore, it makes sense as to why it is so taxing on the Internet and online servers.
Mini-Bibliography:
Golding, D. (2020) ‘Video game planes emit real carbon: why gaming is not merely guilt-free escapism.’ The Guardian. [Online] 4th October. [Accessed on 3rd May 2021] https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/oct/05/video-game-planes-emit-real-carbon-why-gaming-is-not-merely-guilt-free-escapism
Neo-capitalism:
In the latter half of the 20th century the ideology of capitalism accelerated and became emphasised to a great deal. It pushed companies to thrive and technologically innovate to convince consumers to purchase products regardless of necessity or not. Because of this constant innovation various types of technology would go out of date after a period of time with a new and improved version being available soon after which continuous to keep the economy going to this day. An example of this is explained in this online journal article “the status‐seeking yuppies of the 1980s, representing individuals who enjoyed conspicuously consuming a variety of luxury goods so as to position and establish themselves within an elite professional class” (Patsiaouras, G. Fitchett, J. 2012). This type of spending still exists today however was especially prevalent in the 1980s and instead we as people should learn from this as being less materialistic not only will help us in our lives but also will be beneficial to the planet itself.
Mini-Bibliography:
Patsiaouras, G. Fitchett, J. (2012) ‘The evolution of conspicuous consumption’. Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, 4:11 [Online] [Accessed on 30th April 2021] https://www-emerald-com.mmu.idm.oclc.org/insight/content/doi/10.1108/17557501211195109/full/html#idm46144018249568
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the video game industry and its relationship to waste is of great significance as I have showcased in this blog the different aspects of the gaming industry each contribute a portion of waste that will prevent the goal of being waste free by 2050 from coming to fruition. Much improvement is needed and in order to achieve such a goal, financial greed has to be an issue that is less prevalent. Furthermore, consumers also need to actively store or dispose of games and consoles in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. Only when both game companies and consumers make an equal effort can we envision a greener future for our planet.
