Why Online Gaming Is More Eco-Friendly Than Traveling To Tournaments
The eSports Boom
Once upon a time, online gaming would be viewed as something super nerds did in venues with their bulky computers. However, the stigma against online gaming has evaporated over recent years. Now, you no longer need to excel at sports to become successful in the competitive world – you can do it all from the comfort of your own home. In fact, in 2020, the worldwide viewership of eSports was 435.9 million people, which is almost 200 million more than in 2016.
With the rise of people playing and viewing eSports on the rise, this means that fewer people are travelling. The global pandemic has to be considered, as people have become accustomed to a remote way of life, which will likely become commonplace to a lot of people.
Most Popular Online Games
One of the largest online gaming industries is online casinos, with their popularity dominating over land casinos. Giant casino corporations are increasingly pushing the tech side of their businesses, with VR casinos and live poker rooms being all the rage. With the increase in infrastructure and availability of smartphones across the world, people enjoy the ease of gambling online.
With people opting to play online, they can do it on the go. This means that you can catch a train and play your favourite games at the same time, as opposed to travelling separately to a tournament and increasing the carbon footprint.
Is It Completely Eco-Friendly?
Although online gaming is more eco-friendly than travelling to tournaments, it does have its drawbacks. The truth is the equipment and infrastructure that allow you to watch your favourite eSports or play your online games have to run off something. On average, the full-time gamer will spend around $2,200 on their habit across five years, which releases 2,000 pounds of carbon emissions. This is the equivalent of driving 2,250 miles. When you apply this to everything taken to run the online gaming industry, you’re looking at some serious emissions.
Looking after our environment is important, but there will always be something out there to damage it. All we can do is learn more about the ways to decrease our impact, even if that means going offline once in a while.
