New "Eco-friendly" game casing doing the rounds?


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Eco-Box: a greener way to protect games

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If you've bought a new 360 game recently, you may have already noticed this curiously Trivial Pursuit-inspired packaging being employed for titles like Left 4 Dead 2 and Modern Warfare 2. According to the Viva Group, the company that designed the packaging, the new "Eco-Box" is not only better for the environment (using 20 percent less plastic and creating 31 percent less CO2 emissions) but has "no real difference in quality or performance" when compared with standard packaging, reports IGN.

We, on the other hand, worry that the cheaper, flimsier feel of the cases (which will come to the Wii and possibly PS3) will turn people off. After all, If we have to choose between our grandkids drowning in a melted glacier someday or holding sturdy game packaging right now, we're going to go with the packaging every single time.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/01/eco-box-...-protect-games/

:laugh:

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Xbox 360 owners who have recently invested in holiday season hits like Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II, Brutal Legend or Left 4 Dead 2 may have noticed a change in their game cases. Meet the Eco-box, gamer. The lighter, thinner cases from manufacturer Viva Group are becoming the new Xbox 360 game case standard. And don't be surprised to see Nintendo and Sony follow suit, as game cases use less material, reduce their shipping weight and conserve resources.

The move is in part driven by a "Packaging Scorecard" issued by mega-retailer Walmart, an initiative it announced three years ago. The goal, according to the company, was to reduce packaging by 5 percent by 2013, with much of that responsibility shouldered by Walmart's suppliers.

New packaging plans from Microsoft and Nintendo already exceed requirements, dropping the weight of video game cases by 20 percent or more.

Kyle Sheppard, manager of business development at Viva Group, tells IGN that the new cases offer "marginal" cost savings to console manufacturers, with reduction in materials and carbon dioxide emissions the draw.

Nintendo of America told Kotaku that it is transitioning to "a new weight-reduced, recyclable case for all Wii software packaging, effective immediately." Wii games should be shipping with lighter packaging this quarter, with conversion to new game cases expected by early 2010.

"Nintendo's new software cases weigh just 48.9 grams, down from 66.2 grams," a spokesperson said. "That's a reduction of more than 25 percent. The new cases are 100 percent recyclable, and the lighter cases result in a 'greener' product, as they use fewer resources to produce and recycle."

That transition applies to Nintendo's first-party products currently, with third-party publishers expected to follow suit.

"We encourage it, and are trying to make it as easy as possible for them to make the switch," Nintendo reps said. "So far, there are two manufactures that Nintendo has already authorized to make the new lightweight software cases for our licensees. And if licensees come to us with a new manufacturer that they want to use, we will work with them on that process as well."

Microsoft did not offer comment on its decision to switch to the new cases, but pointed out that it has regularly reduced the amount of material used in its game packaging.

Sony Computer Entertainment America reps would not confirm that it would be adopting the Viva Group's new case design, which already has a Blu-ray disc-sized variant.

"We're always looking at streamlining our solutions and evaluating our product case designs to be environmentally friendly, but we have nothing to announce regarding redesigning our cases at this point in time," a Sony spokesperson said.

While the change may satisfy big box retailers like Walmart and improve the bottom line and 'green' scores of video game publishers, it hasn't been met with much enthusiasm on video game forums and web sites. But Nintendo of America says its decision to make the change was largely environmentally driven.

"Nintendo is always looking to make our products more ecologically friendly, and had taken action already in other areas such as making our peripheral accessory packaging using corrugated cardboard instead of plastic 'clamshells,'" Nintendo said. "We are always looking for ways to improve our manufacturing process, and as technology evolves and new techniques and practices become available, then we research the possibilities and make a move if it makes sense. The time is right now for NOA to make the move to lighter software cases."

Source: http://kotaku.com/5415367/changing-video-g...o-for-the-green

Looks like it's confirmed for Nintendo for 2010, and the PS3 escapes for now.

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These new 'Eco-friendly' cases will not make much of a difference for the environment.

The Blu-ray ones especially don't appeal to me.

As it has been pointed out, this will surely mean less protection for the content.

Flimsy case = more chances for scratches = more manufactured replacement discs = more harm to the environment.

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Flimsy case = more chances for scratches = more manufactured replacement discs = more harm to the environment.

= icebergs melting = Waterworld.

Win (Y)

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I got one of these with my Stargate Children of the Gods DVD and I noticed it felt noticeably lighter even before I opened it. The packaging just feels cheap. Anyway, I buy steelbooks whenever possible, so take THAT environment :laugh:

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Only problem I see arising from this is our crappy postal service and if my cases arrived damaged. Won't be pleased if the cases are too thin to withstand that (N)

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I HATE these new cases, they fail at exactly what theywere made for and that is protecting the disc!

Why not just make the cases smaller? Think music cd case but plastic

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Why not buy some of those Asian gold-farmers, have them hold the disc all the way to your door - Both cheaper and more environmental than plastic *insert lame sarcastic smiley*

I would have to agree though, I'd much rather see smaller cases instead of this compromise in safety because even as it stands now, DVDs always tend to be rattling around in the case when I receive games plus 5/10 times something is broken on the case. Now we might end up receiving cracked DVDs as well.

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I think he means the plastic used? Aren't CD cases made of a harder plastic than DVD cases?

Yeah it's harder but less durable. Music CD cases crack and splinter if you look at them with enough rage.

DVD cases at least can take a bit of a beating from drops, but even less now with these pansy cases.

They should make DVD cases out of reinforced steel.

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Oh yeah, I remember that clearly - Could barely touch it before it exploded into a million pieces. I remember some of the later CD cases, it seemed like they saved just a bit and made those pieces of plastic actually holding the disc, much weaker - I remember they broke off with little to no force, just removing the disc made a few of them snap off.

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Oh yeah, I remember that clearly - Could barely touch it before it exploded into a million pieces. I remember some of the later CD cases, it seemed like they saved just a bit and made those pieces of plastic actually holding the disc, much weaker - I remember they broke off with little to no force, just removing the disc made a few of them snap off.

Yeah those are undoubtedly the worst part of any case.

They used the cheap ass flimsy ones that break if you tickle them on some of the JRPGs that hit the 360 and mounted like 3 discs on the one bit of plastic. I'm sure there was some outrage as inevitably some of them broke in the post and people had 3 discs flying around and rubbing together like a saturday night in a ###### house upon arrival.

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from the pictures it looks like the cases might be fluorescent ... does anyone have a UV light at home? turn off all the lights except that, and look at your glowing stack of cases

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