According to data from the State of India Gaming report by the venture capital firm, Lumikai, and Google, India comprises a massive user base of 568 million gamers accompanied by a 17% year-on-year increase in paying users. India’s gaming industry, though a rapidly growing one, is also quite carbon-intensive. One cannot help but wonder why, in a country with a massive user base and a flourishing industry known for its significant carbon footprint, there is minimal discussion, let alone much effort, on climate action in gaming.
Gaming requires a lot of energy every step of the way. Consequently, it emits a large amount of carbon that contributes to climate change. Fortunately, one does not have to give up gaming in order to resolve this issue. Gaming sessions have tremendous potential to become more environment-friendly. In fact, small actions on one’s part, without rigid restrictions of any kind, can go a long way in making a positive difference.
Playing digitally downloaded games is the first step towards eco-conscious gaming. This is because downloaded games have a lower carbon intensity in comparison to cloud gaming, where games are streamed to one’s device via the internet, and physical copies such as discs and cartridges. Additionally, they do not involve the raw material acquisition, production, transportation, and end-of-life treatment stages associated with physical copies, thereby doing away with the large amount of carbon emitted in each.
Another key aspect of eco-conscious gaming involves buying sustainable gaming products. At present, a large number of gaming companies have taken a greener approach by devising important innovations that one can choose from, that too without compromising on gaming fidelity. The Remix Special Edition of Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controllers, for instance, is partially made of material such as CDs and water jugs. Similarly, at least 22% of a Logitech G435 Wireless Gaming Headset is made of post-consumer recycled plastic. Further, eco-conscious gaming also necessitates responsible disposing of one’s gaming equipment. It makes much sense to extend the lifespan of old gaming products by repairing, reusing, or recycling them instead of discarding them as e-waste. This is because the end-of-life treatment of a gaming device, just like its production and active use stages, determines the carbon footprint it leaves behind. Donating gaming products to those in need is a great way of lengthening their lifespan. The longevity of gaming products, such as consoles, monitors, keyboards, controllers, laptops, and headphones, can also be increased by refurbishing them.
Additionally, manufacturers now offer an e-waste management and recycling service for their end-of-life products in India. Gaming giants such as Sony, ASUS, and Acer, for instance, have collection centres throughout the country where one can deposit gaming equipment that they no longer require. There is, however, limited consumer awareness pertaining to these schemes at present. It is imperative that government initiatives help popularise them. After all, the onus is also on the government to move the needle on eco-conscious gaming.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a discussion with India’s top gamers on a host of issues in the gaming world. During the interaction, he also proposed a game where one has to take the most sustainable approach to tackle the climate issue. One hopes this will set the ball rolling for further conversations and concrete actions promoting climate action in gaming.