Dirty cloud: warnings over online gaming industry's environmental footprint

Gaming giants scrutinised in the past for using hazardous materials in consoles could soon see their online enterprises put under the microscope

The video game industry, while dedicated to delivering hours of thumb-strengthening entertainment, hasn't always shown a similar verve when it comes to giving Mother Earth an extra life. Greenpeace has slammed console makers Nintendo and Microsoft in the past for their attitudes towards hazardous materials and e-waste, with Nintendo again hitting bottom of the list in the group's last ranking of environmentally responsible companies.

Last year alone saw 42m tonnes of used up, burned-out technology unceremoniously discarded, and we can be sure that ditched consoles, scratched discs and obsolete controllers will make up some percentage of that rubble. Under scrutiny however, console makers promise they have the environment in mind.