The Splinter Cell: Conviction publisher will do away with physical game manuals in an effort to benefit the environment.

In what looks like the first nail in the coffin for paper game manuals, Ubisoft will soon go 'digital only' for its PS3 and 360 titles. Shaun White Skateboarding, due out later this year, will be the first game to ship under the industry first initiative. The publisher said that a digital manual be included in the game.

Ubisoft's internal data showed that producing one ton of paper for its 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.

Laurent Detoc, President of Ubisoft North America, said, “Ubisoft is often recognised for making great games, but it’s a special privilege to be the industry leader at saving trees. 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.”

Does anybody still read game manuals?