If I ever want to make a hardcore game collector pass out, I tell them my dirty little secret: I throw away all my boxes. OK, I don't pitch all of them. I still have my Super Mario Bros. 3 box, but that’s sort of a sentimental thing. Out of about 550 games that I own, I have only kept around 30 boxes. I'm considering lowering that number soon, too. This got me thinking: Gaming isn't a very environmentally friendly hobby.
The reason I toss the cardboard is because I move around a lot. But then again, I know people who move around a lot, too — and have more collectible stuff than just games. They still keep the boxes, so they can proudly line their shelves. Meanwhile, I have CD wallets that slide neatly under my end table.
Off and on, I subscribe to GameFly. They offer a service that lets you keep a rented game at a reasonably discounted price. I use it now and then, and they always mail me the box and manual. This drives me nuts. When I receive the parcel, GameFly has filled it with packing material, the game box, the manual, and a packing slip. To me, this is all a big waste of paper and plastic. Generally, if I receive a package from GameFly, I grab the game and toss the rest. Occasionally, I’ll ask box-keeping friends if they need some cases.
Recently, I contacted them and asked if they ever considered letting customers opt-out of receiving the box and manual — you know, just a box to check on their website or something. Not surprisingly, the response was a form letter, but hopefully it's a suggestion they’ll take into consideration. It would reduce their shipping costs and create less waste.
As for retail media, publishers could reduce packaging by switching to those slim DVD cases that never really took off. Interested collectors would still have something to proudly show off on their shelves, and they'd be able to display more in the same amount of space. If someone else chose to throw the case away, well, that’s less waste.
Unfortunately, “collector's-edition” packaging seems to be the norm. These garish monstrosities are usually huge containers filled with 50 trinkets that you may or may not want. Blizzard, Bungie, and Bethesda go all out these versions, and most of the stuff ends up collecting dust on a shelf or stuffing landfills. I’m not opposed to these special editions — in fact I think the in-game content that these versions offer is usually intriguing. But I think that’s why people get them: for the additions to the game. Most people don't want a giant, tacky box sitting on their shelf.
Digital distribution indicates that a push toward more financially and environmentally efficient delivery method may be on the way. This past week, however, I read a story that GameStop will soon start selling PSN content in its stores. This ruins the whole point of digitally distributing content. Now we have to contend with code cards. Here's what happens: Sony ships card vouchers to thousands of GameStop locations. People go to the stores, purchase the vouchers, redeem them, and then throw them away. This is an even worse example of waste; the cards don't have any value as collectibles, and this method shouldn't produce any waste to begin with. Credit cards aren't a barrier to online purchasing, either. Plenty of companies offer refillable accounts tied to cards that behave just like regular, old plastic.
Developers and publishers haven't limited wastefulness to real-world items. Some games encourage you to leave your console on for extended periods of time. Fable 3 includes such a feature. In Fable 2, you earned money by owning property over time, including when your system was off. In Fable 3, this only happens if the machine is on, so people find a safe spot to leave their character overnight and wake up to a bunch of money. Sometimes, Achievements encourage such behavior. Viva Piñata has an Achievement for playing for 50 hours. This has enticed Achievement hounds to put in the game and leave their machine on for over two days. What an incredible waste! Achievements and rewards for skill are one thing, but it must have occurred to someone making Viva Piñata that players might simply leave theirs consoles on.
These are just a few examples of how the gaming industry has negatively impacted the environment. Do I think we're headed down a dark path overall? Not at all. In fact, I think the situation has improved with each new console generation. The main culprit of all this is physical media, and whether financial gain, convenience, production cost, or even environmental responsibility motivates publishers, the days of discs are coming to an end.