The first-ever W.A.S.D. lasted but a few all-too-short days, but the discussions by the speakers and panels at the event held lessons that are well worth preserving. That’s why we’re uploading all the talks from W.A.S.D. to our YouTube channel, including a presentation on sustainability in the games industry by Dr. Tomas Rawlings, studio director at Auroch Digital.
As Rawlings points out, climate change is an existential threat to human life as we know it, and while we all love a nice post-apocalyptic game like Fallout now and again, these aren’t settings we’d actually like to live in 24/7. “When you think about post-apocalyptic, and let’s prep for the apocalypse, the best way – by a long way – is not to have it,” Rawlings says.
For players, Rawlings says it’s important to get involved with sustainability focused events and support games with environmentally responsible studios and themes. Developers can invest in renewable resources and cut down on data-intensive processes. Everyone, he says, ought to work for change on the political level by supporting leaders who prioritise climate change policies and sustainability.
Here’s Rawlings’ talk in full:
For more W.A.S.D. goodness, you might like to check out Thomas Was Alone developer Mike Bithell’s discussion about the state of indie games in 2022, or Bulkhead Interactive CEO Joe Brammer talk about how his studio grew from a group of college friends into a triple-A operation that employs more than 100 people.