Greenpeace targets games industry

The environmental activist group Greenpeace International has launched a new video featuring iconic game characters as part of its campaign against e-waste.

The 90-second video has Microsoft's Master Chief, Nintendo's Mario and Sony's Kratos competing for the prize of a "greener" games console.

Greenpeace's latest campaign is aimed directly at the big three game console manufacturers - Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft - who it accuses of failing to "reduce the toxic burden of their products."

The group recently criticised Nintendo and Microsoft publicly for their policies and practices on toxic chemicals and takeback.

"Game console manufacturers are lagging way behind the makers of mobile phones and PCs who have been reducing the toxic load of the products over the past year," said Zenia Al Hajj, Greenpeace International's toxics campaigner.

"Game consoles contain many of the same components as PCs so manufacturers can do a lot more," she added.

Greenpeace is engaged in a campaign to persuade the electronics industry to eliminate hazardous chemicals across the board, believing that current environmental protection legislation does not go far enough.

"Nintendo is surprised by the content of the Greenpeace report," a Nintendo of America spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz in response to the criticism.

"Nintendo takes great care to comply with all relevant regulations on avoiding the use of dangerous materials, recycling of materials, etc. For example, all Nintendo products supplied worldwide are designed to comply with relevant global standards.

"In order to certify that Nintendo products comply with standards for hazardous chemical substances, Nintendo has established the Green Procurement Standards, which require our component suppliers certify that any parts including hazardous chemical substances should not be delivered, and Nintendo fully controls its products in the company.

"Nintendo is always actively looking at ways to continue to increase its environmental stewardship and holds this as a corporate priority worldwide."