Media Consumes Me

Feeling a little down in the dumps? Lonely and misunderstood? Like no one in the entire world understands you? Why don’t you just sit back, relax, and let Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. make it all better…

SCEA has filed a new patent that outlines an ability to passively read, store, and, theoretically, react to the player’s emotions. The patent claims it was invented to gauge the quality of different media’s true entertainment value, and feed this metadata back to SCEA, for further demographic marketing purposes. And I’m sure that’s what it will do, for a small while at least.

But if my PS3 can tell I’m not in a good mood, would it not be in Sony’s best interest to use its backlogged information on what makes me smile in order to cheer me up?

Surprisingly, this is not the first venture into artificial emotional reactions. Earlier this year at E3, Microsoft unveiled Project Natal, and along with it, Milo.

These new steps forward into manipulating our emotions via technology are both frightening and amazing. Let’s hypothesize here a little bit:

Let’s say it’s been three years since Sony (or Microsoft) has begun logging what I like, what I dislike, and what I am apathetic about. Couldn’t they then, in theory, create for me, a friend? One who knows me better than anyone else? A friend willing to hear about my interests, talk with me about friends and family (whose information may also be logged at SCEA regional headquarters)? With this information, couldn’t Sony create for me, a best friend? A true companion who cares about the inner workings of my social life? A best friend, that laughs with me? Who is sad when I am? Who is angry when I am angry?

What if, tragically, one of my close friends or relatives were to die? Would my best friend cry with me? Or what if I fell in love, would my friend also fall in love? Or would he become jealous because I don’t spend as much time with him anymore? If I were to insult my friend, or anger him in some way, would he act out? Would he divulge confidential personal information to my loved ones out of spite? Would he lie?

Now, I know you’re thinking that this is ridiculous. I admit, it’s definitely out there, but is it really that far from the present? Did you know that in Japan, right now, there is a petition (with 3,400+ signers), for the right to marry a fictional character? It seemed unfathomable when I first read the article in February, but now I am beginning to see its legitimacy. If there were a fictional character, created just for you, to be your perfect companion, is it hard to imagine falling in love? At this point in the future, would there not be certain purchasable peripherals to help, well, consumate said love?

I know it’s a stretch… a very creepy, unhealthy stretch. But I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility. Do you?

This article brought to you by: The Space Pope