Enigma7 – and seven tips for sustainable gaming
We are excited to announce our partnership with the German eSports organisation Enigma7! The organisation has set out to promote the importance of sustainability in the world of gaming, and we’re glad to be a part of it. For in a world characterised by technical innovations and high energy consumption, we recognise great potential for raising awareness about the responsible use of our limited resources. We also have a few colleagues in the Bracenet team who occasionally like to sit down at the keyboard and mouse or behind the gaming console. In this article, we will have a closer look at Enigma7 and share our seven best tips for sustainable gaming.
Who or what is Enigma7?
Enigma7 is an eSports organisation, i.e. an organisation in the world of video games and gaming competitions. For example, they offer coaching to members to improve their gaming performance or build teams to participate in competitions. Enigma7 also organises events which are streamed on their own channels. Currently, Enigma7 has teams for the games Call of Duty, League of Legends and Apex Legends, and they are continuously expanding.
What does Enigma7 have to do with sustainability?
eSports teams or organisations are often sponsored by companies that are already firmly established in the gaming sector. That’s obvious, because the fans of the respective teams are part of the potential clientele! But whether we’re talking about energy drinks or gaming accessories, the message is clear: more consumption. Of course, this is not necessarily good for the world – and that’s where Enigma7 takes a different approach. The organisation does not cooperate with conventional brands that focus only on sales, but focuses on start-ups that are committed to protecting the planet. Enigma7 believes that it’s important to always think twice about purchasing decisions and to pay attention to our energy consumption. They see eSports as a platform to spread messages to a large community. And their message is that sustainability also plays a role in gaming!
What does our collaboration with Enigma7 look like?
Bracenet supports Enigma7 in spreading the sustainable message in gaming, and Enigma7 spreads the message for ocean protection. We are also developing upcycling products for gaming, such as cable ties made from ghost nets or mousepads made from discarded wetsuits. Enigma7 is exclusively testing these products and with their feedback we can optimise and later produce them for you and the gaming community. Last but not least, we want to organise events together to further strengthen sustainability in the world of gaming.
What about gaming and sustainability so far?
Sustainability is by no means a new concept in gaming. For example, a number of companies have joined forces in the Playing for the Planet Alliance, which was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme. In this alliance, they are uniting their ambitions in the fight against climate change and setting goals for what they want to achieve along the way. There are also some games that focus on sustainability. But the industry is also developing technological innovations such as virtual reality gaming, cloud-based gaming and high-resolution screens, which are all driving up the energy consumption of gamers.
7 tips for more sustainable gaming
Hier haben wir dir 7 praktische Tipps zusammengetragen, wie du beim Gaming auch die Umwelt im Kopf behalten kannst. Vieles davon machst du vielleicht auch schon, aber es schadet nie, sich sowas in Erinnerung zu rufen. Auch wenn manche Punkte offensichtlich oder klein erscheinen mögen: In der Masse erreichen sie viel.
- Gaming with green energy When you use green electricity, you don’t waste our finite resources and don’t pollute the atmosphere with additional CO2. Since this change also reduces the environmental impact of all your household appliances, we consider this a particularly promising start.
- Don’t always buy the latest equipment New equipment is cool, fancy and fun – but the “wow!” effect often fades quickly. We recommend you to carefully consider what you want from your equipment. Are you playing for the story or for the visuals? Will used equipment not also do the job?
- Pass on old equipment or dispose of it properly When upgrading your equipment, old gear quickly falls out of mind. If it still works, you can sell it via second-hand platforms –because your old equipment can also be another person’s upgrade. This way you extend the life cycle of the product and also free up some budget. Otherwise, proper disposal is key – so don’t just throw it out with your household waste. In Germany, you can hand in your electronic waste at any recycling centre, but larger retailers are also obliged to take back your old equipment. The situation is similar for batteries.
- Downloads instead of hard copies In the past, all games came as discs or cartridges – today, we have the luxury of downloading them instead of going through the lengthy installation process. Downloading has the additional advantage of reducing material consumption and avoiding plastic waste. We know that not all games for all consoles are available for download – but we consider it a relevant factor in your purchasing decision.
- Save electricity and save money Wasting less electricity is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet. So shut down your PC and monitor overnight and use power outlets with toggle switches, as many devices that appear to be switched off continue to draw power in standby mode. Also check your settings ingame to reduce power requirements, and pay attention to energy consumption when buying equipment.
- Play games with sustainable content What you play is also worth a question. Not because some games are somehow more environmentally friendly – but because they dive into environmental issues. So they can further increase your awareness of sustainability and give you tips on how to make your everyday life more environmentally conscious.
- Drink enough water – from the reusable bottle If you are active for hours on end, you also need to make sure you drink enough fluids. While caffeinated and sugary drinks may push you for a short time, we prefer to reach for a water bottle to stay hydrated and focused. The tap water quality in Germany is very high, so we use reusable water bottles like our soulbottle. This way you can also avoid a lot of plastic waste.
Our information and tips on sustainable gaming are mainly intended as an introduction to the topic. If you are at home in the world of video games, we recommend that you get even more involved with this topic and optimise your own setup – so that both you and the environment can enjoy it. For a deeper dive, check out the project Greening the Beast.
Header: Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
