The new Sustainable Games Standard framework aims to assist studios in assessing and decreasing their emissions

The Sustainable Games Alliance (SGA), a global cooperative involving game developers, academic institutions, and related enterprises, has introduced the Sustainable Games Standard. This is touted as the inaugural emissions reporting framework that caters specifically to the gaming industry worldwide.

According to the SGA, this new Standard is tailored to address the particularities of the gaming sector and its diverse value chain, encompassing aspects such as the design of games, server infrastructure, marketing efforts, and hardware considerations.

Freely accessible through the SGA website, the standard is designed for game studios of all scales, from large AAA studios to small independent developers. It assists in accurately tracking emissions relevant to gaming, allowing for comparative performance analysis among different titles and companies. This framework also serves to highlight potential improvements that can reduce costs and environmental impact and ensures compliance with emerging regulations in Europe and other regions.

The standard also aids developers in optimizing energy use, prolonging battery life, reducing hardware strain, and enhancing overall game performance to improve player experiences.

Maria Wagner, Managing Director at the Sustainable Games Alliance, commented on the initiative: “With the Sustainable Games Standard, the industry finally has a framework that reflects how games are actually made, turning ambition into actionable impact.” She emphasized that it represents a collective effort among companies, associations, and researchers to enact widespread change. The ultimate goal, according to Wagner, is to position gaming as the most environmentally sustainable form of entertainment, achieved through strategic actions supported by accessible and comparable data.