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News Football Manager shifts to eco-friendly packaging

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by bit-tech, 18 Sep 2019.

  1. bit-tech

    bit-tech Supreme Overlord Lover of bit-tech Administrator

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  2. Paradigm Shifter

    Paradigm Shifter de nihilo nihil fit

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    As long as I can still get plastic cases for storage of discs long-term (and which I can reuse as desired) I say go for it.

    That said, I wonder how these cardboard cases will hold out against extremely humid environments? A couple of boxes I have been keeping to pack stuff up when moving are feeling distinctly... soggy... and they've just been stuffed in a cupboard for just over a year (which is two extremely humid Japanese summers).
     
  3. Anfield

    Anfield Multimodder

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    What would be even more eco friendly would be to lower the price in the PSN store to match the price of the physical disc on amazon, then physical games could be abolished on console like has happened on the PC.
     
  4. wolfticket

    wolfticket Downwind from the bloodhounds

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    Nintendo were way ahead of them. shame S/NES and N64 boxes would only last about 30 seconds before being completely destroyed.
     
  5. Anfield

    Anfield Multimodder

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    The NIC won't be the bottleneck (regardless if pc or console) unless you are in one of the handful of countries like Singapore where real internet exists.

    That being said, the PS4 is infamous for having slow download speeds, that however originates from artificial throttling to make sure you can still play online games while downloading (except the throttling is applied almost universally even while the bloody thing is in rest mode lol).
     
  6. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    I mean, per @wolfticket cardboard cases ain't new - they were the norm for years until the DVD style packaging took over. I've big-box Commodore 64 games to my left which, in some cases, are 30 years old and still pristine. Even games I picked up second-hand from owners who'd shoved 'em in cellars, attics, or garages are still intact - worst I've seen is a bit of mildew, maybe some warping or staining on thinner card like the outer of a 64C itself.

    That said, none of 'em were kept in tropical climes, so I can't speak for Japan - but Nintendo used to do cardboard packaging for NES games, and I assume they thought things through...
     
  7. Paradigm Shifter

    Paradigm Shifter de nihilo nihil fit

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    Yes, and @wolfticket pointed out that the cardboard boxes didn't last long... I still have several old PC game cardboard boxes (not with me) and they were still OK last I checked. I never had a S/NES or N64, but some GBA games I had the boxes lasted very poorly. It will largely depend on how the cardboard is treated and finished - since SI are on an "eco-friendly" run, they almost certainly will not be using methods which keep the cardboard in good condition for prolonged periods - in fact, that is the precise opposite of what they want!

    It is troublesome and a great pity, but "recycleable" seems to be code for "not built to last" - surely the better option is to make stuff that lasts, rather than stuff that needs to be replaced constantly? But that doesn't fit with the modern throw away consumer.
     
  8. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Most of the tatty NES boxes I've seen were crushed through poor handling, rather than time/humidity degradation - but you've a point in SI's design being prioritised for recyclability rather than longevity. Only time will tell - and if it does degrade more quickly than you'd like, it's probably a good thing it's being used on a game franchise which is tied to annual updates rather than a buy-once-pass-it-on-to-your-kids model!
    It'd be nice, but sadly the world has gone very much Recurring Revenue Stream. There's no shareholder value generated in selling something once; selling something over and over again is where the big bucks are made.
     
  9. wolfticket

    wolfticket Downwind from the bloodhounds

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    I know it's all plastic=bad at the moment, but there's something to be said for plastic in purposes where it will have an almost indefinite useful lifespan, over card or paper that rapidly wears out and is throw way requiring replacement in some form.

    Reducing single use plastic is often a no brainier, but for long term non-disposable items it's not necessarily so clear cut.
     
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