第２９０回 Workshop報告（１１月８日）

≪FIRST HALF≫

Nintendo Celebrates as Super Mario Turns 40

In 2025, a lot of young people want to be singers, dancers and YouTubers.  But if you really want to make big money, being a plumber might be the best idea.  Because over the last 40 years, not many people have been as successful as the world’s most famous plumber — Mario!  Nintendo is celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of its most loved characters.

But while we’ve all gotten older, Mario has stayed almost the same as ever!  He was first seen in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, when he wasn’t yet called Mario. 　But the anniversary that Nintendo is celebrating is of the first Super Mario Bros. game, which was released in September 1985.  Since then, Mario has appeared in all sorts of games and movies, often with his brother Luigi and a regular cast of characters.

But Nintendo didn’t expect the Italian plumber to be a global star.   He was just easy to create, Mario expert Alexis Bross told AFP.  The designers wanted a simple character that would stand out.  That’s why he had a cap and a red-and-blue costume.  He’s done more than stand out; he’s been an important part of people’s lives.

And he’s not done yet.  Nintendo has announced the title of a new Mario film, which will be released in 2026.  It’s called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and comes after the success of The Super Mario Bros Movie, which made more than $1.3 billion worldwide.  Nintendo is also releasing remastered versions of the two Super Mario Galaxy games next year, as well as Mario Tennis Fever, and a Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

<Questions>

Q1. Who are some of your all-time favorite video game characters?

Q2. What are your thoughts on Super Mario’s 40th anniversary?

Q3. Why do you think Mario games have been so popular for so long?

Q4. Have you seen any good movies or TV shows that are based on video games?

Q5. What do you think about Japan’s position in the global gaming industry?

<Reference>

Mario is still a record-breaking superstar as Super Mario Bros. turns 40 | Guinness World Records

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2025/9/mario-is-still-a-record-breaking-superstar-as-super-mario-bros-turns-40

≪LATTER HALF≫

Android Coworker: A Future Workforce?

The Osaka-Kansai Expo has closed, giving visitors a glimpse into the future of life. For me, the most impressive exhibit was the “Future of Life” Pavilion, produced by Hiroshi Ishiguro. The pavilion presented the story of an elderly woman in the year 2075 who faced severe health issues. She had to choose between a natural death and transferring her memories into an android to continue her existence. The choice between natural extinction and becoming an eternal “memory android” would be a profoundly difficult one for most people.

However, I began to wonder: could a memory android become part of our future workforce?

As countries like Japan face serious labor shortages due to declining birth rates, the idea of an android workforce is becoming increasingly relevant.

Let’s discuss: Would you accept a memory android as your coworker?

<Questions>

Q1. What is your image of an android? How do you think it would fundamentally differ from a human being?

Q2. If you became a memory android with a perfectly healthy, immortal body, would you still choose to do the same job you have now?

Q3. If your elderly coworker’s mind were transferred into an android body, would you accept them as your coworker?  Why or why not?

Q4. If you were a hiring manager, would you choose to hire an experienced memory android over a recent human graduate?

Please share your group’s ideas for Question No. 4.

<Reference>

https://globe.asahi.com/article/15988519

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