MegaBots Raises $2.4M To Create League Of Human-Piloted, Giant Fighting Robots (techcrunch.com) 52
Remember MegaBots? The Kickstarter success story that was raising money last year to pilot fighting robot named Mk II. Labeling it as a contest for world supremacy, the co-founders challenged a Japanese team Suidobashi Industries to a duel with its Kuratas bot. (Which it accepted very gracefully). The idea was to utilize this octane-packed event to sell merchandise products. Here's an update: it worked. TechCrunch reports: Oakland, Calif. startup MegaBots Inc. has raised $2.4 million in seed funding to bring the robot-fighting stuff of manga and anime to a venue near you. According to MegaBots cofounders, Gui Cavalcanti, Matt Oehrlein, and Brinkley Warren, the startup aspires to follow in the footsteps of major sports associations like Formula 1 or UFC. With the seed funding, Warren said, MegaBots will be partnering with a law firm called Latham Watkins to help set up and roll out its league internationally, taking an approach similar to the Olympics. Specifically, MegaBots will be working with Latham Watkins Partner Christopher D. Brearton, who represents the International Olympic Committee, and has helped organized leagues and governing bodies in sports including the NBA, MLB, NFL and others.
Wait... (Score:1)
I saw this movie already...
It was called Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots the movie...
Oh wait, sorry... It was Real Steel...
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I saw this movie already...
It was called Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots the movie...
Oh wait, sorry... It was Real Steel...
Long before that movie was RobotJox. Achilles!!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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But don't forget the SyFi channel's Robot Combat League [syfy.com]
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Microsoft owns the video game license to BattleTech, and Topps owns the tabletop side of the franchise.
Neither is anywhere near as likely to sue as Harmony Fucking Gold (may they be tentacle-fucked in Hell).
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This ends.... (Score:1)
This ends with one robot fist smashed completely through the cockpit of a rival and raspberry jam leaking everywhere.
End of league.
Re:This ends.... (Score:5, Funny)
This ends with one robot fist smashed completely through the cockpit of a rival and raspberry jam leaking everywhere.
There's only one man who would dare give me the raspberry.
Lone Starr!
Host Country (Score:2)
We all know it's gonna be in Dubai. There is no way this won't be in Dubai.
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it can be in the usa we just need more H1B's so we can get the people that we need!
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"MegaBots is evaluating potential host countries and working with governments that may be interested in and willing to host such an event, and future tournaments."
We all know it's gonna be in Dubai. There is no way this won't be in Dubai.
It would be so wrong to build up a good sweat piloting a battling robot and not be able to have a good cold beer afterwards.
but... (Score:2)
they don't look anything like Gundam...
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of course not. Gundams were for war, this is for entertainment!
Besides, once shown that it can be done, the military can't be all that far behind. Especially if it can be shown that one person piloting the robot can take on several others at the same time. Think of the cost savings!
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I see your mega bot and raise you a guided bomb.
There's little difference between a 'megabot' sort of ideal tactical/battlefield situation and that of most any modern armored/mechanized forces. Gaining air superiority is imperative prior to deploying armored forces in numbers on the modern battlefield, or else risk losing them to missiles/bombs and other air-to-surface/anti-armor enemy weapon systems
The main thing I see these type of mechanized individual armored battle vehicles adding are agility compared to tracked/wheeled battle vehicles, and infantry
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Indeed, wrong font, for one. [pinimg.com]
Now get back to work! (Score:3)
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The core goal of 'Mechs is to pack a lot of firepower into an easily transportable package that requires a single pilot and can traverse ground like infantry.
Tanks are good - on Earth. When you suddenly have to force project across multiple planets, sometimes with hostile LZs from deorbital burns, and occasionally into completely unknown environments, 'Mechs suddenly have a lot of useful qualities as an overall warfighting system.
Once the technology matures to tie them into a pilot's nervous system for bal
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To be fair, I totally expected the loaders from Aliens. I figured at that price, that would be about all that could be built.
Third's a charm (Score:4, Informative)
Link three, the last link in the article, is the one that contains actual information.
kind of cool (Score:4, Informative)
The Japanese version seems more agile [youtube.com], but......
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Do the Chinese also product Gundam style shows? I thought it was only the Japanese that did that.
potential host countries (Score:2)
From TFA
MegaBots is evaluating potential host countries and working with governments that may be interested in and willing to host such an event, and future tournaments.
Translation: Looking for the place with the least restrictive laws and minimal requirements for liability insurance.
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well its a california based company so... yeah not the US
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well its a california based company so... yeah not the US
Not Canada. Not anywhere in Europe. Probably not South America nor middle east. Most likely East Asia. Though Mongolia could be good, battling it out in the open air on the wide open steppe.
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From TFA
MegaBots is evaluating potential host countries and working with governments that may be interested in and willing to host such an event, and future tournaments.
Translation: Looking for the place with the least restrictive laws and minimal requirements for liability insurance.
Somalia?
One Must Fall 2097 (Score:4, Insightful)
The game that taught me how the sound of banging two spoons together, slowed way down, sounds like one robot punching another in the face.
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There was also a robot fight in Space Quest III, Nuke'm Duke'm [wikia.com].
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the arms... no didn't RTFA (Score:2)
so... whats mounted on the arms and is it legal in california?
also who has the insurance contract and when was the first fight... the blurb makes it sound like it has been successfully accomplished "Here's an update: it worked."
No overlord comment? (Score:1)
The reason they are partnering with a law firm (Score:2)
To handle the suits from all of the families of the deceased spectators from misaimed turbo-lasers and the like.
Not that it's stop me from watching mind you. Just saying it's probably the first venue you may want to consider tickets with an obstructed view as a plus.
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To handle the suits from all of the families of the deceased spectators from misaimed turbo-lasers and the like.
Not that it's stop me from watching mind you. Just saying it's probably the first venue you may want to consider tickets with an obstructed view as a plus.
LRM's will be banned, they can only use SRM's so problem solved!
Like tanks, but worse (Score:2)
I wonder if the rules will specify that the robots have to be anthropomorphic. If not, it seems a lot more sensible to just build one of the "human-piloted fighting robots" that we've been using for 100 years: a tank. Human-shaped fighting robots have the big disadvantage of being top-heavy and dependent on relatively small, delicate legs with complicated joints. Of course, that problem could also be solved by making a super-cool scorpion robot...
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They're fucking giant robots. Of course you're gonna need lawyers.
I thought they would use cardboard cutouts for target practice but that's a much better idea!
2020 Olympics (Score:1)
That's chicken feed compared to what will be spent on bots and holograms for the 2020 Olympic opening ceremony.