Video: Are we Witnessing the Dematerialization of Toys?

The computer gaming industry is rivaling and surpassing the movie and music industries, and gaming is now definitely mainstream. There's even a growing market for semi-educative and educative games (see the free game Phun, a 2D physics sandbox, in the video above -- developed by Emil Ernerfeldt, available here).

What is the impact on the environment of all this gaming? We think most people would agree that it depends on the opportunity cost: If someone is playing a game, using a few hundred watts of electricity, instead of driving around town and shopping for unnecessary things, then the net result can be positive. If gaming replaces very low-impact activities, it can be negative, especially when people stop going outside and connecting with nature (from biophilia to biophobia).

We're curious to know what you think about gaming in relation with the environment. What have you observed around you? Good, bad? Please leave your thoughts in the comments. Via ::reddit