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Ubisoft Going Green By Ditching Manuals, Releasing New Game Cases
Earth Day won’t be here for a few more days, but that’s not stopping Ubisoft from announcing its own eco-friendly initiative. The company plans to eliminate printed Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game manuals entirely, beginning with Shaun White Skateboarding, which is set for a holiday 2010 release. In lieu of a physical manual, players will be able to access a digital version directly on the game disc.
The publisher says that the move will save trees and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and wastewater released into the environment. “Ubisoft is often recognized for making great games, but it’s a special privilege to be the industry leader at saving trees,” said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America. “Eco-friendly initiatives are important to the global community and introducing in-game digital manuals on Xbox 360 and PS3 is just the latest example of Ubisoft’s ongoing commitment to being a more environmentally conscious company.”
The company is also working with packaging company Technimark to produce 100-percent recycled ecoTech game cases, starting with the PC version of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction.
We’ve contacted Ubisoft about the initiative and are awaiting an official response. We’re particularly interested in hearing whether consumers will benefit from what’s almost certainly a reduction in manufacturing costs. We’ll let you know if we hear anything.
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