Capcom released Mega Man in December of 1987, and with it brought many innovations to the platformer. The stages are fairly typical for the genre, having players progress mostly through jumping on platforms and defeating enemies, but the stages are not presented in a linear order. The player chooses in what order they want to complete the first six levels, and they can try a different stage if they run out of lives. They can also choose how they want to defeat enemies, since they acquire a boss’s weapon after beating them. The gameplay of Mega Man hinges on choice, and so does its story. From the instruction manual, we learn that Dr. Wright designed six robots to help society in various industries, such as logging or construction. His assistant, Dr. Wily, later reprogrammed these robots to take over the world’s resources, and now Mega Man, another robot created by Dr. Wright, must stop him. The two doctors have chosen to use the same technology in different ways: either to help society or take control of society. Therefore, the game suggests that technology can be either beneficial or harmful depending on how people choose to wield it.
Facial recognition software is a recent and controversial development. Perhaps the greatest application of such technology is its use by law enforcement. Such agencies can use it “to uncover criminals or to find missing children and seniors,” and because “when people know they are being watched, they are less likely to commit crimes,” it could prevent some crimes from occurring at all (Marr). Not only catching criminals, but also stopping crime in the first place seems to be a strong reason to implement this technology. Facial recognition will also provide more efficiency and convenience as it develops, such as being “able to check-out at stores without pulling out money or credit cards - your face will be scanned.” (Marr). Facial recognition can make society safer and life easier, but this assumes we choose to use it responsibly.
Facial recognition also has many drawbacks which people could abuse. The fact that “the technology isn’t as effective at identifying people of color and women as it is white males” complicates its use by law enforcement (Marr). An overreliance on facial recognition or systemic prejudice against minorities could lead to wrongful arrests. Privacy is another serious concern as facial recognition becomes more widespread. Beyond the disturbing thought of constantly being tracked and recorded, a recent breach of “facial scans used by banks, police forces, and defense firms” demonstrates that the data collected through facial recognition is not necessarily secure (Marr). The anxiety over facial recognition has recently resurfaced in global news, as Hong Kong protesters cut down a lamppost believed to use such software. Ventus Lau, the organizer of this protest, explained their concern that “Hong Kong people’s private information is already being extradited to China” (Doffman). This statement implies that facial recognition is being used in Hong Kong against civilian wishes and for purposes beyond security or convenience. Knowing the risks of widespread facial recognition as well as seeing an example of its misuse helps us understand the importance of making ethical choices with technology.
Mega Man’s attitude towards technology reflects the complexity of the real world. The motif of choice and wide variety of options provided to the player demonstrate the many ways technology can assist us. The player constantly chooses how to approach new situations, and this choice often hinges on which weapon they want to use. The player can choose to hit enemies above or below them with the Thunder Beam, create a shield that does damage using Fire Storm, or freeze foes with the Ice Slasher and skip them entirely. Making good use of these weapons allows the player to more easily overcome challenges, demonstrating how technology can be helpful. However, the obstacles you face are technological in nature as well, since every enemy besides Dr. Wily is a robot, and even he uses machines during the final boss fight. The characters use machines for both good and evil, and we see the same technology on both sides. Since Mega Man uses the weapons he obtains from bosses, the game implies that there is nothing inherently bad about them; they were simply being misused. The same can be said for facial recognition. With good practices, it can improve our quality of life, but it can still be used for malicious intent, and we should find it unacceptable when it is. As technology continues to become more and more powerful, ethical use of technology becomes more and more relevant, and Mega Man addresses this issue both in its gameplay and story.
Works Cited
http://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Mega-Man-Game-Manual.pdf - Mega Man instruction manual
Doffman, Zak. “Hong Kong Exposes Both Sides Of China's Relentless Facial Recognition Machine.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 27 Aug. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/08/26/hong-kong-exposes-both-sides-of-chinas-relentless-facial-recognition-machine/#12c2b43f42b7
Marr, Bernard. “Facial Recognition Technology: Here Are The Important Pros And Cons.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 19 Aug. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/08/19/facial-recognition-technology-here-are-the-important-pros-and-cons/#26927d5114d1