Ubisoft Eliminates Paper Manuals For PS3 and Xbox 360 Games

Later this year Ubisoft will only provide manuals for PS3 and Xbox 360 games in digital format.

Ubisoft has recently launched a new environmental initiative to make their game packaging more environmentally friendly.

As a part of the initiative, Ubisoft will be eliminating paper manuals from their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 titles and will substitute them with in-game digital manuals.

Ubisoft plans to kick-off the changes with Shaun White Skateboarding this holiday season.

Press Release

UBISOFT® LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY PACKAGING FOR ITS PC, XBOX 360 AND PLAYSTATION®3 SYSTEM VIDEO GAMES

Today Ubisoft announced an environmental initiative to eliminate paper game manuals, replacing them with an in-game digital manual for all titles on PlayStation 3 (PS3) system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The program, the first initiative of its kind in the video game industry, launches worldwide with Shaun White Skateboarding this holiday 2010.

Ubisoft's digital game manuals will provide multiple benefits for the player and the environment. Including the game manual directly in the game will offer the player easier and more intuitive access to game information, as well as allow Ubisoft to provide gamers with a more robust manual. Ubisoft internal data shows that producing one ton of paper used in Ubisoft's game manuals consumes an average of two tons of wood from 13 trees, with a net energy of 28 million BTU's (equivalent to average heating and energy for one home/year), greenhouse gases equivalent of over 6,000 lbs of CO2, and wastewater of almost 15,000 gallons.

"It's pretty cool that Ubisoft is making a conscious effort to go green with its new video game packaging," commented Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White. "I'm excited for my new skateboarding game to come out and stoked that it will be the very first Ubisoft game to be part of their green packaging initiatives."

In addition to Ubisoft's efforts to decrease paper usage in its game packaging, Ubisoft has partnered with Technimark, Inc. to release the entertainment industry's most environmentally-responsible DVD case for all of its future PC titles in North America. The 100 percent-recycled polypropylene "ecoTech" DVD case will make its debut with Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction PC video game on April 27, 2010. Ubisoft has featured digital game manuals in its PC titles distributed in North America since March 2010.

"Ubisoft is often recognized for making great games, but it's a special privilege to be the industry leader at saving trees," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America. "Eco-friendly initiatives are important to the global community and introducing in-game digital manuals on Xbox 360 and PS3 is just the latest example of Ubisoft's ongoing commitment to being a more environmentally conscious company."

Our Take

Nick DiMola Director

04/19/2010 at 07:52 PM

Ughhhhhhhhhh

Pale

04/19/2010 at 08:01 PM

If you really want to be green you'd go all the way and eliminate physical discs all together! Come on Ubi!

Jason Ross Senior Editor

04/19/2010 at 09:52 PM

Yeah, I'm not so sure I like this idea. How many of us, when we were kids, remember going home from wherever we bought the game, and reading the manual on the way home? Sure, gaming has grown up a bit since then, but really, it's a childhood experience that's in the process of going away.

Unfortunately, this also probably means more and longer slow tutorials built into games, often without an option to skip. As a short-term business move, this saves Ubisoft a bit of change in the production process, but the long-term repercussions might not be worth it. I can say that unless Ubisoft and the publishers that follow suit tread carefully on their manual-like methods, I probably won't be satisfied with their digital alternatives, unless they aren't forced on me, as a gamer, in any way.

Don Quixote

04/20/2010 at 12:12 AM

Oh I'm sure they're working on it. Then they'll impose their restrictive DRM that allows one install, with each additional install for a nominal fee. Then consumers will have to be constantly connected to the internet, or else it won't save.

Simply put, we'll be giving them money, and in return, get absolutely nothing. [/conspiracy theory]

PixlBit