Games Consoles: No Consolation
In the clash of the consoles, who will play nicely and who will play
dirty? Jane Turner enters the fray.
This report covers the main three home console (Wii, Xbox, PlayStation3) and
handheld console (DS and PSP) manufacturers – Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
Core video gamers are no longer just teenage boys and young men. The Nintendo
Wii and DS with its sports, fitness and brain training games has ushered in
a sea change attracting girls and older players, and encouraging people to play
together. In 2008, the market was worth £2.7 billion with 10 million handhelds
and over 30% of households owning a home console. More money was spent on video
games than on the cinema, music, nightclubs or spectator sports. The Wii leads
the market followed by Xbox with the PS3 being the choice for the hardcore gamer.
For handhelds, the DS is the most popular choice.
Greener Electronics
In Greenpeace’s latest ranking of electronics companies according to their
policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change, the games consoles
companies were ranked like this:
| Rank |
Company |
Points out of 10 |
| 12 |
Sony |
4.5 |
| 15 |
Microsoft |
2.5 |
| 18 |
Nintendo |
1 |
For comparison, Nokia was at the top of the table with 7.45.
Nintendo remains in last place but with an increased score, up from
0.8 points in the last version, for putting on the market games consoles whose
internal wiring is PVC-free. The company has banned phthalates and is monitoring
use of antimony and beryllium and although it is endeavouring to eliminate the
use of PVC, it has not set a timeline for its phase out.
Microsoft stays in 15th position but its score drops from 2.7 to 2.5
points, as it loses a point for failing to provide explicit support for Individual
Producer Responsibility. On other e-waste criteria, Microsoft fails to score
any points.
Sony drops from 5th to 12th place with a reduced score of 4.5, down
from 5.5. It loses points on: the precautionary principle criterion; for setting
a timeline beyond March 2011 for eliminating PVC and brominated flame retardants
(BFRs) in mobile products only; for failing to support Individual Producer Responsibility;
for failing to extend its voluntary e-waste take-back and recycling programme
beyond North America and for weak support for the levels of cuts in greenhouse
gas emissions needed.
Clash of the consoles
As part of it Greener Electronics campaign, Greenpeace has published a separate
website focussing on games console manufacturers toxic ingredients and e-waste.
Surprisingly, none of the games console companies make a console free of the
worst toxic chemicals. This is in contrast to PC makers, who are already selling
some models without toxic chemicals like BFRs and PVC. Greenpeace is campaigning
to see a games console completely free of these toxic chemicals on the market.
In 2008, Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s
Xbox 360 Elite were sent to the lab and tested for hazardous chemicals. The
analysis, published in Greenpeace’s report, ‘Playing Dirty’,
detected the use of hazardous chemicals and materials such as polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), phthalates, beryllium and bromine (indicative of brominated flame retardants
– BFRs).
BFRs do not break down easily and build up in the environment. Long-term exposure
can lead to impaired learning and memory functions. They can also interfere
with thyroid and oestrogen hormone systems and exposure in the womb has been
linked to behavioural problems.
Components of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 also contained high levels
of phthalates, one of which – DEHP – is known to interfere with sexual
development in mammals including humans and, especially, males.
But the tests also showed that each manufacturer had avoided or reduced uses
of individual hazardous substances in certain materials within their consoles.
For example, the Nintendo Wii managed quite well without using beryllium in
its electrical contacts and use of PVC and phthalates was limited. The PlayStation
3, meanwhile, included ‘bromine-free’ circuit boards and the Xbox
360 used fewer brominated materials in its housing materials.
Ironically, despite being used for playing games, games consoles are not classified
as toys. If they were, existing EU legislation concerning the use of hazardous
chemicals in toys and childcare articles would mean that these games consoles
simply couldn’t be sold at all in the EU market!
Games consoles also contribute towards the fastest growing type of waste –
e-waste. Once they’ve reached the end of useful life, games consoles are
often dumped and end up in unsafe and dirty recycling yards in developing countries,
where toxic contents harm both the environment and the health of workers.
You can write to Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft (or even all three!) and let them
know what you expect of them in making their products cleaner and greener.
Go to www.greenpeace.org/international/clashoftheconsoles/
Energy Use
When Greenpeace tested the home consoles in idle mode it found that the Nintendo
Wii had the lowest energy use with 15w whereas the Xbox consumed 97w and the
Sony PS3 128w.
During gaming, a US report from November 2008 found that the Wii used 16w,
Xbox 119w and the PlayStation3 150w. Differences were due to the fact that the
Xbox and Playstation use high-end 3-D graphics that require more power to generate.
These two machines have power-down options disabled by default.
On top of the home console itself there is the energy consumption of the TV
to add to a gamer’s carbon footprint.
For handheld consoles, the PSP uses more energy because it can play movies
and MP3s and uses high-end graphics unlike the DS which only plays games.
Users can reduce energy consumption by turning the consoles off after playing
and not using home consoles to play DVDs. Games consoles playing DVDs use as
much as 24 times the power of a stand-alone DVD player. You could also use a
solar-powered or wind-up gadget to charge your DS or PSP.
Energy Star standards, the US energy efficiency certification, will become
effective for consoles on July 1st 2010. To receive the Energy Star seal, consoles
will have to use less than one watt of electricity during off mode, and less
than five watts during sleep or auto-off mode. They will also have to power
down to sleep mode after an hour of inactivity.
Safer children in a digital age
Graphically violent games like Manhunt 2 have helped sustain a backlash towards
video games. As a result The
Byron Review was commissioned by the government to regulate retail sales
of certain games to kids. Among the report’s recommendations are:
- A uniform classification system
- That consoles and computers are kept away from children's bedrooms, moving
to the living room so parents can check the content
- Stricter rules on the way video games are advertised
- Age ratings should be made obvious on billboards and adverts
- Commercials for adult titles should not appear in magazines aimed at the
under-18s.
MakeITfair in China
Both Microsoft and Sony were criticised by the makeITfair campaign for labour
rights abuses at their suppliers in China. Findings included mandatory overtime,
unhealthy working conditions, no union, disciplinary wage reductions and wages
insufficient for a decent standard of living.(4)
Nintendo was not mentioned in the report but outsources all of its production
and assembly. It did not have a supply chain policy, but it did mention in its
CSR Report 2008 that it had found problems at some of its suppliers in China
relating to working hours and the need to “enhance enrichment opportunities”.
Games software
Only three major companies make the consoles, and these are featured on the
table. But there are hundreds of companies developing and publishing the actual
games software. The leading publishers are based in the USA, France and Japan
and include the console makers Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
Most of the publishing companies, companies like Electronic Arts, SEGA, and Activision, just develop and
publish games. Only a handful have fingers in other pies. Vivendi, for example, also owns water, telecommunications
and music companies. Most of the publishers would receive a similar ethiscore rating with not much to differentiate
them. The exceptions are Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Vivendi and controversial publisher, Take Two.
Whilst all of the publishers release violent games, Take Two has attracted
the most criticism, especially for its Grand Theft Auto games in which you are
rewarded for killing policemen and running over pedestrians. The San Andreas
version of Grand Theft Auto had to be re-rated to 18+ after it was discovered
that pornographic content could be accessed by downloading a modification online.Take
Two is also responsible for the much-criticised murder simulator Manhunt and
a new game called Bully in which one pupil kicks another while a third watches.
Natural teachers
Studies have shown that video games can have positive effects.(11) Children
find them highly motivating; by virtue of their interactive nature, children
are actively engaged with them; they provide repeated practice; and they include
rewards for skillful play. People can learn spatial and visual attention skills
from video games whilst educational software can improve academic achievements.(11)
Given the fact that video games can have several positive effects, it should
come as no surprise that they also can have negative ones. Research has documented
negative impacts of video games on children's physical health, including obesity,
video-induced seizures and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders, such as
tendonitis, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome.(11) However, these
effects are not likely to occur for most children. The research to date suggests
that parents should be most concerned about two things: the amount of time that
children play, and the content of the games that they play.(11)
Violence begets violence?
Although the video games industry is at pains to deny the link between its
products and real world violence, many studies have shown that playing violent
games has a positive correlation with antisocial and aggressive behaviour (most
researchers define violence in games as when the player can intentionally harm
other characters in the game).(11) Content analyses show that a majority of
games contain some violent content, more often than not described as 'mild violence'
or 'mild cartoon violence'.
And about half of those include violence that would result in serious injuries
or death. The most violent games are the 'first-person shooter games' (i.e.
games which put the player in the killer's role such as Doom and Medal of Honour).
The industry says that these type of games have older age ratings and are not
intended for children, but US studies have shown that children of 7 have been
sold 'M rated' games (see later).
Looking across the dozens of studies that have now been conducted on violent
video games, there appear to be five major effects. Playing violent games leads
to increased physiological arousal, increased aggressive thoughts, increased
aggressive feelings, increased aggressive behaviours, and decreased prosocial
helping behaviours.(11) In a 22nd March 2000 interview on ABC Television, lawyer
Jack Thompson alleged that the killers at Columbine High School scanned yearbook
pictures into the video game Doom. This allowed them to shoot at images of their
classmates within the game - a simulation that turned into a tragic reality.
Jack Thompson represents families who are suing Id Software Inc. and other companies
for being accessories to mass school shootings.(12)
Game over
Research shows that parents have an important role. Children whose parents
limited the amount of time they could play and also used video game ratings
to limit the content of the games do better in school and also get into fewer
fights.(1) Regarding limiting the amount, the American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that children not spend more than one to two hours per day in front
of all electronic screens, including TV, DVDs, videos, video games (handheld,
console, or computer), and computers (for non-academic use). This means seven
to 14 hours per week total. In 2004, the average US school-age child spent over
37 hours a week in front of a screen (nine of them on video games, although
the average for boys is much higher than for girls).(11)
Playstations for peace
With the majority of games containing some kind of violence, finding a non-violent game can be difficult.
Educational games
Called 'edutainment' in the games industry, these are the safest bet but there
are virtually no educational games available for consoles, although there are
many made for computers. Publishers of edutainment, like Dorling Kindersley
and BBC Multimedia, do not publish violent games.
Sports and puzzles
Sports games, simulation games (like Virtual Pets), chess games, racing games and arcade puzzle games like Tetris
are other non-violent options. Football games are usually in the top 5 best selling video games. Most of these games are
published by the mainstream companies alongside their 'shoot 'em up' titles.
Animal rights games
Steer Madness is an animal rights themed video game for the computer published
by independent company Veggie Games in 2004. Described as 'Grand Theft Auto'
meets 'Chicken Run', Bryce the steer has recently escaped from the slaughterhouse
and needs your help to liberate all the animals in the city and replace all
meat products with tofu. It used to be sold by Viva! but we can't find a stockist
for the game anymore.
Steer Madness was runner up in PETA's 2004 Progressive Awards in the category
of best animal friendly video game. The winner was Whiplash, a game published
by Eidos (who also publish the violent Tomb Raider). Whiplash features a shackled
animal duo on a mission to escape and sabotage an animal-testing corporation.
It is rated Teen by the ESRB with a 'mild violence' descriptor and 7+ by PEGI.
Whiplash is available from Amazon for PlayStation 2 and Xbox..
Christian games
There are also Christian video game developers, like Digital
Praise. Their 'Adventures in Odyssey' games (for ages 8+) are not overtly
religious, and they don't apparently push any particular set of beliefs except
basic goodness. Buy them online from www.digitalpraise.com.
Serious games
Lastly, there are so-called 'serious games', many of which have a progressive,
environmental or political message. They are all played online on a computer.
The BBC hosts Climate
Challenge, a game where you are president of the European Nations. You must
tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office.
Eco
Creatures is a Nintendo DS game where you have to defend a forest from encroaching
industrialization. The game is sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation.
There are various eco games on the Greenpeace
website.
UNICEF also have a games
website at where you can find 'World Heroes', in which players must lead
UNICEF on a relief mission.
The goal of the video game 'Madrid'
by newsgaming.com is to pay homage to the victims of the Madrid terror attacks.
The Guardian described newsgaming as SimChomsky.
Also check out tropicalamerica.com,
activismgame.com and watercoolergames.org.
Ratings on the games boxes
In the UK, under a voluntary scheme, video games are given an age rating by
the software publishers. The PEGI age bands are 3+, 7+, 12+ and 16+ and 18+.
This age rating may be accompanied by one of six symbols describing the content
of the software &emdash; violence, drugs, sex, fear, discrimination or bad language.
You can search the PEGI online database to see what rating a particular title
has and who publishes it. The USA operates a different voluntary system run
by the ESRB.
Unlike the PEGI system, the ESRB ratings are not decided by the software publishers
but by independent raters, although the ratings are based on footage submitted
by the publisher. There are currently 6 ESRB rating symbols (EC - Early Childhood
3+; E - Everyone 6 +; E10+ - Everyone 10 and older; T - Teen; M - Mature; AO
- Adults Only) and over 30 different content descriptors that refer to violence,
sex, language, substance abuse, gambling, humour and other potentially sensitive
subject matters.
The ESRB ratings system seems more stringent that the PEGI system. For example,
'Spyro the Dragon- Enter the Dragonfly' is rated 3+ over here but 6+ in the
USA. The ESRB website is also more useful to parents who want to only choose
games with a certain rating. You can search the ESRB website
by ratings and content descriptors ie. you can search for only games with an
EC rating which do not have 'mild cartoon violence' as a content descriptor.
Independent ratings
- MediaWise provides information about the impact of media (TVs, videos,
video games) on children, and "gives people who care about children the resources
they need to make informed choices". MediaWise is a initiative of the US National
Institute on Media and the Family, a non-profit organization.
Their Video Report Cards list '10 games to avoid for your children and teens'
and '10 recommended games for children and teens'. Because it is a US website,
be aware that the recommended games include American football games. Their
website also includes tips for parents when choosing a game and tips for appropriate
game playing.
What's wrong with toys of violence?
By Sue Spencer (from Christian Peacemaker Teams at
www.cpt.org)
- They do not engage our children and young people in our struggles
to maintain peace.
- They desensitize children to the results of violence &emdash; pain,
crippling and death.
- They endorse violence as a way of solving problems.
- They do not help develop reasoning or verbal skills.
- They require no imagination or creativity. A pull of a trigger or push of a button takes
care of any problem.
- They reverse the positions of the normal virtues
and vices: they downgrade patience, compassion and the spirit of cooperation,
while upgrading quick-trigger responses, aggressiveness and hate.
- They blur the distinction between things and people, especially the current hybrid
or robot toys that "convert" from warriors into rocks and vehicles and back
into warriors again.
- They endorse dealing with any beings who are "different"
from us with violence.
- They increase children's desires for real guns,
knives, rifles, etc.
- They do not reflect today's realities in the following
ways:
- they do not (cannot) convey the degree of danger posed to all humankind
if or when it forsakes negotiation and resorts to all-out violence.
- they
do not indicate that our military might is supposedly subservient to politics.
- they make war seem exciting and fun.
- they equate survival with attacking,
winning, and being dominant. In actuality, survival may well depend upon
compromise and cooperation.
Links and references
- Guide
to Greener Electronics
- Clash
of the Consoles
- Byron Review
- ‘Playing with Labour Rights – Music player and game console manufacturing
in China’ – makeITfair
- Greenpeace
games for PCs
- MediaWise - www.mediafamily.org
- US group which produces Video Game Report Cards.
- PEGI online database
- UK age ratings and game descriptors
- ESRB website - www.esrb.org
- searchable website for US age ratings and content descriptors.
- 'Chicks and joysticks - an exploration of women and gaming' ELSPA report
September 2004. Download
as a pdf
- 'Violence is Not Child's Play' campaign aimed at congregations, meetings
or groups to challenge retailers marketing violence to children , run by US
Christian Peacemaker Teams, a project of North American Mennonite and Church
of the Brethren congregations and Friends meetings. www.cpt.org/violent_toys/play.php
- Video Game Report Card 2004 - MediaWise (www.mediafamily.org/research/2004_VGRC.pdf)
- Parents Previews website - www.parentpreviews.com
- Report on 'Virtual Boy' product by Stanford University: 14 May 2001