Green Gaming: Playing Video Games, the Eco-Friendly Way

Reduce Waste, Save the Planet, Get a 1-Up

What we've done is mount our power strip on the back top side of the entertainment center. From here it's easy to reach around and flip the switch, not only cutting power from the consoles but also to the stereo, TV, and DVD player which also suck their own share of electricity. Rearranging the cables took maybe an hour at most and the screws went in by hand. The only downside is that the stereo's digital clock will forever be blinking 12:00. A small price to pay. Don't forget about your portable systems either. The Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable chargers work just like a cell phone charger and draw power even when nothing is plugged in. There are many, many charging stations available nowadays that conceal the tangled cords and power strip inside nice hardwood boxes lined with anything from felt to hand-sewn leather, depending on how fancy you want to get.

We play in a wireless age nowadays so don't forget your controllers. The Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii controllers can both run on AA batteries. Stock up on some rechargeable batteries with a 2000 mAh or higher rating and you'll barely notice a difference in battery life. Just don't forget to unplug your charger from the wall when not in use, it's a vampire as well. For PlayStation 3, buy a long recharge cable and juice up your controllers while you're actually using the system, even if you're just watching a movie.

Trading in the Name of Conservation
Most modern games are endlessly handed down from game store bargain bins to eBay seller shops to individuals on Craigslist to a mildewed cardboard box at a yard sale. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd rather throw out a PlayStation 2 game than trade it in for a discount towards a new purchase. Jump into the cycle and keep your old games out of the landfill. Video games continue to be valuable collectibles long after their release and since the industry is still young overproduction and destruction of media is minimal. There have been no reports of major dumping or destruction of video games since that infamous E.T. landfill incident in the 80's. Got older games or electronics you just don't have the time to auction off online? There are numerous resources like Earth911.org that will gladly help you recycle your old plastic Atari cartridges and Sega CD discs.

Downloads Cut the Waste
The concept of digital distribution has been around for ages but it's only been in recent years with faster internet connections and bigger, cheaper hard drives that it's really started taking off. Watching a Netflix movie online saves paper (and postage) and the same is true for the burgeoning market of digital game downloads. GameFly.com offers free and paid downloads of over 900 PC, console, and arcade games that require no shipping, no packaging, and no manufacturing. All three console systems have launched similar online shops.