The oft-delayed giant robot fight has finally taken place. On Tuesday, Team USA's mechs scrapped it out with Japan's Kuratas in an abandoned steel mill for the world to watch. There could only be one victor, and it proved to be [snipped for your pleasure]
Those not familiar with the rumblings about this fight can catch up from Engadget's original coverage, and our own in 2015, and earlier this year.
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[translation mine] A US company wants to compete with the giant robot of a Japanese competitor. However, they're apparently lacking the money to complete their own battle machine. Now they're turning to patriots for help.
For the representatives of the company MegaBots, there is nothing more beautiful than robots that tear each other to pieces. "Your childhood dreams have come - can you hear them knocking?", asks the speaker in a video on Kickstarter. As though it were unthinkable, that someone could find a duel of nations in highly stylized robot battle dubious or completely superfluous. A battle advertised with slogans like "Together we can conquer Japan!"
In practice it's not about real declarations of war, but a robot duel between the US company MegaBots and the Japanese company Suidobashi Heavy Industry. At the end of July, MegaBots challenged its competitor from the Far East to pit their model named Kurata against MegaBots' Mk.II in the summer of 2016.
MegaBots is hoping to raise $500,000 on Kickstarter to fund their robot. Are they hoping for a Reality TV show?
After two years of quiet rumblings the stage is set for a Giant-Robo battle between Japan's Suidobashi Heavy Industry and USA's Megabots.
It's taken some time to get the robots ready and everything set up. But it seems that the match is going to happen this September. One of the biggest challenges was finding a venue according to a recent interview the Megabots team did with Quartz.
Logistical issues for an event of this magnitude have included: whether or not the venue's floor can support the weight of giant robots falling, having sufficient power and utilities available to work on the robots, safety containing a fight between extremely heavy and powerful machines, being able to access the venues with heavy trucks used to transport the robots, and more.
The fight is set for some time next month and will be available on Youtube and Megabot's Facebook page – no news as to whether that will be streamed live or not. For safety the event will not be allowing spectators to watch at the venue.
Source: http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/08/geekery-the-robot-fight-is-on.html
(Score: 4, Informative) by Snow on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:24PM (14 children)
It was super lame.
Bot 1 shoots a large paintball at bot 2.
Bot 2 slowly wheels close to bot 1
Bot 2 knocks bot 1 over.
Bot 1 lies on back like a turtle.
Total Duration: ~10 seconds.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:28PM (4 children)
You left out the part where the Yank hacks the Jap apart with a chain saw
(Score: 2) by Snow on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:30PM
That's pretty generous...
The chainsaw was as useless as the paintball gun.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @10:01PM (2 children)
"Yeah, when we were evenly matched the Japanese robot KO'd ours in one strike, but when we made it lopsided contest by hauling out a bigger, heavier and better-armed robot we totally kicked their butt. USA! USA! USA!"
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday October 19 2017, @10:43PM
Ayuh! They win one battle, we win one battle. Draw?
Nah.
USA!USA!USA!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday October 20 2017, @12:51AM
Japs' military doctrine no longer involves suicide-bombers.
If it were a Muslim bot, then it would have been a murder-suicide kill with both blown to bits.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:29PM
Honey if we showed all tricks up our sleeve you might get worried. So we just wwf around a bit...
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:29PM (3 children)
Spoiler spoiler: there are 3 rounds, the spoiler above covers round 1. The other 2 rounds are less lame - but only a tiny bit so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Snow on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:32PM (2 children)
Oh, I didn't know there was more than one round! I was so disappointed i couldn't carry on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:48PM (1 child)
Round two was lame. Round three was a bit more exciting. People inform me that it wasn't staged, though I'm not sure I believe these people who tell me that. It looked cool at least.
Mechwarrior cited plenty of time as inspiration, but the combatants reminded me more of the standing tanks from the backstory in the manual to Battle Clash [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday October 19 2017, @09:06PM
You'd get better action by putting chainsaws and swords on industrial welding bots and programming them to parry.
This was just sad. Does watching 6 times ten seconds out of 25 minutes count as a "view" on youtube? I'm afraid I may have accidentally encouraged them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:30PM
It was way longer than 10 seconds, but I didn't even watch the end it was so dull.
(Score: 2) by jcross on Thursday October 19 2017, @09:18PM (1 child)
I just skimmed it and could not stand the annoying voiceover. The guy sounded like an annoying teenager in an adult body, overacting excitement without actually being excited at all. To be fair, this seems to be what reality TV mostly sounds like these days, but omg who actually likes that voice? Maybe they need it to make up for the aforesaid lameness of the actual action being narrated?
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday October 19 2017, @10:48PM
Yes... "The one robot knocked over a stack of cars, leaving a trail of destruction!!!"
SHEEIT... One car fell over.
Whooo.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @02:39AM
These things aren't very far from a big backhoe (or some other variety of construction digger). If they were painted yellow they would fit right in on a big road construction site.
Anyway, these robots are toys compared to Robosaurus, which goes back to 1989.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:38PM (8 children)
On the topic of entertainment based on fictional military operations, I wonder if there's anything in the genre of taking 90s era MILES simulation gear and modern weapons and real military units and running a TV show. Essentially a documentary on existing simulated wargames.
The closest I've seen is a BBC series where the main focus was training nuclear submarine commanders but the side story was the practical eval section of the course was a mid 00s multinational wargame simulation, which was pretty interesting to watch.
I was involved in something like this in the 90s in the Army, I'm just saying add 500 go-pro helmet cameras to the wargame on each side might be interesting.
Of course they would probably turn it into unwatchable USA-style sportscasting or unwatchable reality TV. You'd end up with 45 minutes of how great it is some soldier is a single mom and 5 minutes of actual simulated war coverage. But it could be interesting to watch.
Essentially I'd start with this mech war, make sure it doesn't suck at the TV programming level (good luck), then recast with real military gear and real military people.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:44PM (7 children)
This may come as a shock to you, but most people like their porn to be about sex, not violence.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday October 19 2017, @09:52PM (5 children)
Agreed, although women looking dangerous certainly have their place as well.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @12:11AM (4 children)
So very much explained
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday October 20 2017, @02:15AM (3 children)
Blah, blah, blah. Make a solid statement if you've got the balls. Vague insinuations are for pussies.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @02:25AM (2 children)
You're secretly a diaper crazed sex freak who wants a strong woman to pretend she's your mom. This is due to your dad being overbearing and your mom being too supportive. Your first sexual encounter was with an older teacher which cemented your Oedipus complex, and your anxieties about the nature of your sexual awakening resulted in incontinence; thus diapers make you feel safe.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @03:41AM
TMI
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday October 20 2017, @11:08AM
Interesting... if I'm into weak women I'm a misogynist and if I'm not I'm messed up in the head. And you lot wonder why nobody with even half a brain takes you seriously.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday October 20 2017, @01:11PM
Wait... this giant mecha warrior thing is a pr0n flick not simulated military? Japanese pr0n, so weird. I thought we were safe WRT mechas not having tentacles but ...
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:39PM (3 children)
Let me guess, robots did not spray a hail of real bullets at each other using gatling guns.
Does it really have the soul of a mecha if it won't endeavor to crush the opponent with the absolute force available through human engineering?
Maybe we need thicker armor, compact fusion, and energy shields before we can truly answer this question.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:46PM (1 child)
Remember, kids: practice safe Zechs, always wear a Gundam!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @09:03PM
Careful, the low-budget ones are not very effective. [pinimg.com]
(Score: 2) by rts008 on Thursday October 19 2017, @10:15PM
Yeah! An 'Arc Barrel 4' in one hand, and a 'Fatal Buster' in the other, and it's time for some destruction!
(weapons are an obscure Front Mission 3 reference- I played the hell out of that game)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by richtopia on Thursday October 19 2017, @10:21PM (1 child)
Robot Wars and Battlebots was a lot of fun to watch, even it it became repetitive at times. I think this would have been more enjoyable scaled down Mechs remotely piloted, so they actually could use lethal tactics against each other. Not to mention, you could have more than two teams as they wouldn't cost millions of dollars to build.
(Score: 2) by gringer on Friday October 20 2017, @01:21AM
The year is 2097. Friday. You've waited for this night since you were a child. Fifteen years of training will be used tonight - your future career the main prize.
"The left elbow still needs a little work... Just three more days! Move the fight to next Friday and they won't know what hit 'em!"
Lying on the table, you can't see where the voice came from, but you recognized the colorful language of Team Chief 'Plug' McEllis. "Don't be nervous, Plug. This 'bot is fresh from the factory and the best there is." You reply, trying to hide the shaking in your own voice. "I'll show you just how good a job your team did."
"I know you will. It's just that this is your first match and your opponent's tenth. Should give you more time..."
Time to what? Sim training gets old. There's no simulator that can compare with the real thing. "I have to do it now. The Board will see me as a challenger and hothead. I need the edge to get in this season's schedule."
"Good luck to ya... Give 'em an uppercut for me." says Plug.
The attendants begin checking your suit. You can feel the small needles in the helmet pressing into your skull. Fifteen minutes to show time. You feel a slight burning sensation as the drugs which connect you to the super computer seep into your spine. A cute attendant leans over the bed and gives you a wink.
"Nighty night... Remember me when you're famous."
Your eyes begin to shut. You blink a few times, trying not to fight the medication. Finally, your eyes begin to close as you lose consciousness.
METAL! You can't believe the feeling! Your eyes open, but they're not your own. You look at your hand and flex it into a fist. You strike the fist against your opposite palm and the sound is like two trains smashing together. You realize you'll never get used to "jacking in," the feeling of power you get from suddenly becoming a few hundred tons of dangerous equipment.
"You there, kid?" says a voice inside your head.
You now hear several voices in the background, "Physical attributes steady. All systems mark."
You turn your head over to the body lying on the bed ten meters away and almost 30 meters below.
You speak, your voice amplified a hundred times, "I'm slice, Plug. Let's do some crushin'!"
It is no longer blood you feel pumping, but Synthoil. Your eyes now show you heat dissipation factors, metal strength, weapon power, damage scales, and some other figures so complicated you know to ignore them. Even though you no longer have blood, it feels like your pulse is
climbing as the clock over the door nears 00:00.
"Zero hour. Let 'er roar!"
The door opens. The crowd cheers. The game begins.
Source: OMF 2097 manual. Available from a link found on this page [github.com]
Ask me about Sequencing DNA in front of Linus Torvalds [youtube.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 19 2017, @10:57PM
That was incredibly stupid