Let’s cut to the chase:
The company’s environmental impact goals consist of “being a carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste company by 2030.”
Fair enough – if you wish to change your operations in support of your internal goals (er, what the heck is “water positive”??), have at it. Train your employees, give them the tools, incentivize them – but forcing this on your customers regardless of what THEY think they bought?
Microsoft announced in a recent news post that it will force gamers into powering down their Xbox consoles in order to fight climate change as part of the company’s campaign for “building a more sustainable future of gaming.”
The company announced its intention to become a “zero waste” company by automatically switching gamers into “shutdown mode” to conserve energy. Microsoft also claims that if two gamers use their proposed power-saving method for a year, it is the equivalent to planting one tree.
And WAIT, there’s MORE Nannyism at play
The gaming console will also schedule updates and maintenance at specific times that the company claims “may” help reduce carbon emissions. “Your console will wake up at a time when it can use the most renewable energy in your local energy grid,” the post claims, adding that soon all gamers will be able to update their systems so that the “Xbox console is carbon aware.”
What, to meet its INTERNAL goals, it’s going to be monitoring where that console lives (YOUR house?), ferret out which electrical company you use,and start running analysis on your gaming and costs. Are you down with that – have you GIVEN them that information?
You BOUGHT your XBox, right?
Yes, there are some parallels as to when they do Windows updates. Sometimes they ask and sometimes they jam something down your throat (figuratively speaking).
I’m not a gamer so I don’t know – are Microsoft’s competitors doing the same thing? Or are they going to use this against Microsoft with a “we’re hands off and respect your property – you can trust us because we’re not like that other guy”?
(H/T: The Blaze)
