Wal-mart Calls For Greener Gaming

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Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Wal-mart Calls For Greener Gaming


Retailing behemoth Wal-mart [http://www.walmart.com/] is asking videogame companies to start thinking about how they can make games more environmentally friendly.

A recent "green gaming summit," including companies like Sam's Club [http://www.microsoft.com], said the company urged developers to begin "developing software and hardware that allows us to save the game so we do not have to leave it on [and] would allow us to turn it off during a meal break or overnight without losing our place."

"Additionally, some clever programming would allow the console to go into a lower power, standby mode when not in use," he added. Changes in "coding and power usage design" to reduce the power consumption of consoles during media playback were also encouraged, while switching product packaging from plastic boxes to cardboard "would be like taking almost 4000 cars of the road in terms of equivalent greenhouse gas emissions," the company said.

But such initiatives would be focused primarily on future generations of consoles, rather than current hardware. "Focusing on the next generation of consoles would allow the machines to be built from the ground up to use less power while providing an even better experience," Muha said.

"There is no reason that we cannot make such a difference," he continued. "We believe that games are an important and worthwhile part of our lives. They can enrich our experiences, allow us to relax and explore while challenging our skills mentally and in some cases physically. The goals of sustainability and the gaming experience are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they should more forward on the same track."

Source: Develop [http://www.developmag.com/news/30422/Walmart-urges-developers-to-go-green]

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Feb 13, 2008
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Waitaminute...

Walmart, the Elephantine Hypermarket that builds huge waste driven sites all over the green areas, and puts stupid restrictions on everything it can...whilst selling cut-price drivel to gullible consumers wants game companies to be more environmentally friendly; and only in the next wave (64 bit consoles?)

Isn't that like George Dubya telling Switzerland to cut down on knife crime?
 

Cousin_IT

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Feb 6, 2008
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"developing software and hardware that allows us to save the game so we do not have to leave it on [and] would allow us to turn it off during a meal break or overnight without losing our place."

Most games do (or should) allow that. Its the player that usually chooses to leave the machine on coz they cba to sit for a couple seconds to make sure it turns off (same with PCs)
 

MrBliss

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Cousin_IT post=7.70003.677247 said:
"developing software and hardware that allows us to save the game so we do not have to leave it on [and] would allow us to turn it off during a meal break or overnight without losing our place."

Most games do (or should) allow that. Its the player that usually chooses to leave the machine on coz they cba to sit for a couple seconds to make sure it turns off (same with PCs)
Yeah, this shows how little this guy knows about games. I believe regularly being able to save games has been around for about 20 years on PC, and since the PS1/Sega Saturn days for consoles.
 

HomeAliveIn45

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MrBliss said:
Yeah, this shows how little this guy knows about games. I believe regularly being able to save games has been around for about 20 years on PC, and since the PS1/Sega Saturn days for consoles.
Actually the first game with a save feature was The Legend of Zelda for the NES
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

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The only thing in my opinion that needs to change is Nintendo's encouragement to leave the Wii on 24-7 by making the damn thing a pain in the ass to turn all the way off.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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HomeAliveIn45 post=7.70003.677944 said:
MrBliss said:
Yeah, this shows how little this guy knows about games. I believe regularly being able to save games has been around for about 20 years on PC, and since the PS1/Sega Saturn days for consoles.
Actually the first game with a save feature was The Legend of Zelda for the NES
Sorry, you could save games on the old Star Trek game on the 380Z's. That was 1982 I believe. And there were a couple of adventure games on the ZX81 where you could save your progress.
 

HomeAliveIn45

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The_root_of_all_evil post=7.70003.677953 said:
HomeAliveIn45 post=7.70003.677944 said:
MrBliss said:
Yeah, this shows how little this guy knows about games. I believe regularly being able to save games has been around for about 20 years on PC, and since the PS1/Sega Saturn days for consoles.
Actually the first game with a save feature was The Legend of Zelda for the NES
Sorry, you could save games on the old Star Trek game on the 380Z's. That was 1982 I believe. And there were a couple of adventure games on the ZX81 where you could save your progress.
I'm a fool! Teach me your ways master!
 

MrBliss

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HomeAliveIn45 post=7.70003.677944 said:
MrBliss said:
Yeah, this shows how little this guy knows about games. I believe regularly being able to save games has been around for about 20 years on PC, and since the PS1/Sega Saturn days for consoles.
Actually the first game with a save feature was The Legend of Zelda for the NES
I meant when saving became a regular feature, available on pretty much every game. The use of memory cards with the PS1 is what really kicked it off for consoles.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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HomeAliveIn45 post=7.70003.677976 said:
The_root_of_all_evil post=7.70003.677953 said:
HomeAliveIn45 post=7.70003.677944 said:
MrBliss said:
Yeah, this shows how little this guy knows about games. I believe regularly being able to save games has been around for about 20 years on PC, and since the PS1/Sega Saturn days for consoles.
Actually the first game with a save feature was The Legend of Zelda for the NES
Sorry, you could save games on the old Star Trek game on the 380Z's. That was 1982 I believe. And there were a couple of adventure games on the ZX81 where you could save your progress.
I'm a fool! Teach me your ways master!
Heh. Nah, I think your NES version was the first time that there was hardware specifically for saving. My versions were saving that information off to disc/tape.
 

bkd69

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Nov 23, 2007
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Heh.
Since the industry ditched the outsized cardboard boxes in favor of the DVD boxen, there's really not much further they can go, except...digital distribution? Is that what you're looking for, Walmart?

And I'll pay attention to his other suggestions after he's maybe logged a few hours of game time.
 

the monopoly guy

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May 8, 2008
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*clears throat* Excuse me, if you don't mind...
PUBLICITY STUNT


Thank you.
EDIT: This only rings truer when you read what he said about saving games.

This coming from the company that get's all it's store brand, and most of it's other merchandise, from China. I'm not saying China is to blame, we outsourced the jobs over their.


So, if you don't mind again
HYPOCRITE
The whole lot of us.
 

Booze Zombie

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Dec 8, 2007
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I almost died laughing when I realised what that guy had said about saving your game progress.
I nearly didn't notice it because I was reading quickly... but, wow.
 

MrBliss

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Booze Zombie post=7.70003.678992 said:
I almost died laughing when I realised what that guy had said about saving your game progress.
I nearly didn't notice it because I was reading quickly... but, wow.
Yeah, that was pretty funny. He actually thinks i'll leave my Xbox on for weeks while I complete GTA IV.
 

REDH4MMER

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Feb 27, 2008
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This is what happened to me when I first got my Playstation 1 I got FF7 for it and didn't have enough money for a memory card. So I just had to keep my playstation on. I think I left it on for 2 months straight at one point, where I went on holidays and I was on the 3rd disc. There was no way I was turning it off.
 

Hey Joe

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Dec 23, 2007
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Well, yeah, it's a publicity stunt but I remember Greenpeace...or the Greens party or something Green running an awareness campaign on high-power consumption in relation to gaming, and they make a good point.

Think about the manufacturing process and the raw materials that go into the units, and then the packaging, and the the shipping energy, the energy used by gaming stores, then finally consider the juice we use by simply playing every day.

However I don't drive, so I consider myself carbon neutral whatever I do.

*punches a baby seal in the face*

"I'M CARBON NEUTRAL! TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!"
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

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Apr 8, 2008
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Hey Joe post=7.70003.679513 said:
Well, yeah, it's a publicity stunt but I remember Greenpeace...or the Greens party or something Green running an awareness campaign on high-power consumption in relation to gaming, and they make a good point.

Think about the manufacturing process and the raw materials that go into the units, and then the packaging, and the the shipping energy, the energy used by gaming stores, then finally consider the juice we use by simply playing every day.
But with that argument, just about every manufactured product wastes just as much, if not more, energy.
 

GothmogII

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Apr 6, 2008
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Even the current DvD style cases for computer and videogames is a bit much, I don't get why they don't reduce if further, to say just over the maximum size of the disk. That still leaves plenty of room for artwork, system requirements and other miscellaneous info.

World of Warcraft much as I love it so is pretty bad for this. You know the game time cards? The thing is the size of a credit card. And they -still- put it in a full DvD sized case. Skk...