Sony: dating help tech for otakus

“We have solved Japan’s underpopulation problem!” declared Kazuo Hirai, chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment division, upon the announcement of their patent pending AssistiveTech line of technology. The new technology aims to bridge the real and virtual by offering a computer based interface to deal with complex real world situations. The primary market of this technology are hikikomori, a growing group of Japanese who have chosen to shut their lives off from real life and interact only through virtual means.

“As a leading technology company in Japan, we have to be cognizant of the social responsibility we bear,” eulogized Hirai in his introductory speech. “Hikikomori represent a growing problem and contribute substantially to the issue of the nation’s population deficit. AssistiveTech, by providing a familiar interface, will help wean hikikomori from their dependence on virtual means of expression.”

In a short demonstration that followed the speech, Hirai showed a live feed of a reformed hikikomori outfitted with the AssistiveTech technology. Wearing special glasses connected via Bluetooth to a customized PSP game player, AssistiveSpeech provides contextual help in engaging real people in conversation. While the unit can help with everyday tasks such as buying groceries or ordering food at a restaurant, the technology is designed primarily to help the notoriously shy hikikomori talk with the opposite sex.

AssistiveSpeech suggests a contextual appropriate response to everyday situations.

AssistiveSpeech can be set to a number of levels from friendly to socially aggressive. The red text shows the most socially aggressive choice in the situation.

AssistiveSpeech can be configured to show both friendy and aggressive options for any situation.

AssistiveTech is still in extensive beta testing. One problem, admits Hirai, is that the pool of willing hikikomori testers is small, forcing the company ask the Japanese government to forcibly repatriate volunteers into its program. “I don’t like using such distateful means,” said an emotional Hirai when asked about the problem, “but once the hikikomori use the technology I’m sure they’ll appreciate the enhancement it provides. We’ve taken pains to make the interface comfortable and familiar.”

Hirai talked extensively about the product’s potential future enhancements going as far as saying that it represented the next step in human - computer interactions. Beta testers have already given feedback that a save point option and the ability to replay certain scenes for later viewing would be greatly desired. Already in the works is AssistiveReact, an emotion meter that picks up the reaction of the opposite sex through physical cues and changes in pheromone levels.  AssistiveReactive, promises Hirai, will be a feature available in the go live, retail version.

AssistiveReact, measures the physical and chemical cues of the opposite sex to gauge their reactions.

Also mentioned in the press materials, but not included in Hirai’s presentation, were plans to expand the technology to the Playstation 3 game console. An unidentified Sony product manager commented “We know that the Playstation is on it’s last legs. We asked the guys up top to throw us a bone. AssistiveTech is the hottest thing we have going for us right now.” No further details about a PS3 port were available at the time of this writing.

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