Episode 31: Star Citizen Paywall, Killer Robot Ban & Violent ESports

So is this a Ponzi scheme or is Star Citizen just plain lost it and gotten lazy? This is how we start this week, with a debate on the fact that $200 million has been raised and nothing other than concept art has been delivered. Now there is the backlash on “charging” to access the live stream of the citizen convention. Buck gets heated and starts to rant, we all love those.

Then we look at automated killer robots and the combined call from the Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law Schools International Human Rights Clinic. The realities of automated warfare are much more demoralising than we expected. But on the bright side, war will become more like a video game and spectator sport. Now if we could only get the politicians to lead the charge onto the battle field the world would be a better place.

A hack from the Olympic committee has declared video games are too violent for inclusion at the Olympic Games despite the growing trend in eSports. Someone claims it is the presence of blood. We ask about the violence of boxing, football, wrestling and even gymnastics. Yep, gymnastics had a sickening display of physical harm and it is still there. If this doesn’t make you chuckle a little you need to check your pulse.

In games of the week the DJ has dropped the ball and leaves us high and dry. The professor has been playing Vermintide II and it is sounding Fan-FREAKING-tastic!!! Definitely a game to look into for your games rotation, so much fun set in awesome graphics. Buck played a classic in Warhammer 40k, Spacemarine and is still having fun even after all these years.

There is the usual mention of various events from history that happened this week, plus the birthday shout outs, including the legendary Freddy Mercury. Also, a thank you to Chery Gladman for mentioning us as a great Australian podcast.

Star Citizen’s streaming paywall

- https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/3/thread/citizencon-streaming

 

Killer robot ban

- https://www.technewsworld.com/story/Human-Rights-Groups-Amplify-Call-for-Killer-Robot-Ban-85541.html

 

ESports too violent for the Olympics

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45407667

 

 

 

Games currently playing

 

DJ ‘s game

- No game

 

Buck’s game

- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Space_Marine

 

Professor’s game

- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer:_Vermintide_2

 

 

 

Other topics discussed

 

Avatar the movie

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)

 

Development of Duke Nukem

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_Duke_Nukem_Forever

 

Elon Musk and others calling for outright ban of killer robots

- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/20/elon-musk-killer-robots-experts-outright-ban-lethal-autonomous-weapons-war

 

Elon Musk’s promise to not make killer robots

- https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/elon-musk-killer-robot-artificial-intelligence-pledge-military-drone-a8453611.html

 

Elon Musk and Google’s DeepMind co-founders pledge not to make killer robots

- https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/20/elon-musk-google-deepmind-co-founders-pledge-no-killer-robots.html

 

Star Wars Space program

- http://www.coldwar.org/articles/80s/SDI-StarWars.asp

 

ESports at the 2018 Asian Games

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESports_at_the_2018_Asian_Games

 

ESports won’t be added into the Olympics

- https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympics-esports-wont-be-added-killer-games-too-violent-ioc-president-thomas-bach-a8522301.html

 

French Gymnast breaks leg at Rio 2016 Olympics

- https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/samir-ait-said-french-gymnast-broken-leg-video-rio-2016-olympics-first-somersault-recovery-a7753006.html

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOx-oPNJ-aM

 

Underarm bowling incident of 1981

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underarm_bowling_incident_of_1981

 

Contact sports in the Olympics

- https://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/sports/index.htm

 

The Swedish Chef speaks Norwegian

- https://www.thelocal.se/20120829/42886

 

Ancient Denmark Law: Beating people with sticks

- https://www.denmarkfacts.com/beats-the-swedish-with-sticks.html

 

TempleOS

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TempleOS

 

World Solar Challenge

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Solar_Challenge

 

The Martian Movie

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_(film)

 

Bohemian Rhapsody the movie

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Rhapsody_(film)  

 

 

Shout Outs

 

Rest in Peace Terry A. Davis

- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17912618

 

 

Events of interest

 

Sept 1, 1939 - 79 years since Poland was invaded - https://i.redd.it/y6fy01tczlj11.png

 

Sept 2, 1969 - First ATM - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-atm-opens-for-business

 

Aug 31, 1888 - Jack the ripper’s first victim - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jack-the-ripper-claims-first-victim 

 

Aug 31, 1955  - First solar powered car - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-cobb-demonstrates-first-solar-powered-car

 

Sept 2, 1945 - Japan signs the Japanese instrument of Surrender ending WW2 - https://www.archivesfoundation.org/documents/japanese-instrument-surrender-1945/

 

Sept 3, 2018 - Miyoko Asou passes away - https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-09-03/voice-actress-miyoko-asou-passes-away/.136262

 

 

Famous birthdays

 

Sept 4, 1960 - Damon Wayans, actor/comedian (In Living Color, Major Payne, Blankman) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon_Wayans

 

Sept 4, 1962 - Shinya Yamanaka - Japanese physician (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine), born in Osaka, Japan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinya_Yamanaka

 

Sept 4, 1968 - John DiMaggio, American voice actor and comedian - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DiMaggio

 

Sept 5, 1946 – Farrokh Bulsara, known professionally as Freddie Mercury, lead vocalist of the rock band Queen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury

 

Finally thank you to Chery Gladman for mentioning our podcast on the Great Australian Pods website and twitter. https://twitter.com/cheryanne/status/1037621728866787328?s=19

 

 

 

Intro

Artist – MusicCoriAnder

Song Title –  Dr Who Dance Remix

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzbkWCOUfzw

 

 

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/

Email - Nerds.Amalgamated@gmail.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamated

 


NA LOGO alt 2.png