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.” Read more