Nintendo Leaks, The Witcher Prequel Series & Smallpox

It has happened. The DJ kept within the time limit.

This week the Professor took a sabbatical and its Dev-i-boy’s last episode before he takes his own sabbatical.

We saw some big big leaks from Nintendo which might have some massive reveals such as a Luigi in Mario 64. Could this help or hurt Nintendo, who knows but one is for a certain we might some leaks from other companies in the near future.

Toss a coin to your Witcher, O Valley of Plenty, O Valley of Plenty, and this time we are gonna see plenty of backstory in the new Witcher series, The Witcher : Blood Origin. We might have more insight about the Witchers...

Speaking of insight, there is now a new theory that what killed the Vikings was not the penguins but smallpox…

This week, DJ embraced his inner child by playing M.A.S.S Builder and Dev-i-Boy played good cop bad cop in The Red Stare.

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Half-Life projects, Comic-Con program guide, Playstation Factory & Esports Mental Toughness

First, Dev-i-boy found a list of Valve games that never came out. These games were created in the dark times before Half Life: Alyx was announced, and include some interesting looks at what Half Life 3 could have been.

You can't go to Comic-Con this year, but you can watch it online. There's a great program with tons of shows including comics, television and gaming news. It's also probably the most accessible Comic-Con ever, since you don't need to leave your house and the shows are free.

First the robots came for the car factory jobs, and I said nothing. Then they came for the Playstation 4 assembly jobs, and I said "Cool, that's some nice tech". Sony has almost fully automated their assembly line and only use four people on the ends of a single assembly line that makes one console every 30 seconds. It's awesome.

Esports are stressful, and high skill players show the same signs of stress as their analogue counterparts. This doesn't surprise the Nerds at all, but it's an interesting study.

This week, Professor played a chaotic real time dice rolling game, DJ kept the peace in Agents of Mayhem and Dev-i-boy got distracted by job applications. Wish him luck.

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Night Sky Pix Solar Eclipse, SimRefinery & Promised Neverland

Never look at a solar eclipse. Unless you're wearing badass solar eclipse glasses and taking cool photos. Night Sky Pix sent us an article about photographing the upcoming solar eclipse, and it's so in depth we'll need to get it back from the Challenger Deep. So, if you live in the right places, get your camera and your solar filters and get snapping.

SimRefinery is the least well known Sim game of all time. That's because Maxis never actually finished it and it's been sitting in a box for decades. But now it's been temporarily released on Archive.org and around 20 000 people have downloaded it. SimRefinery was a training simulation commissioned by Chevron and designed to help introduce refinery workers and company staff learn about the operations of their facilities.

DJ is cautiously excited about Promised Neverland, an Amazon live action remake of the anime with the same name. A knock off version of the Eloi from The Time Machine find out what they're being kept for and try to escape. Don't get your hopes up though, what are the chances someone will actually make a good live action anime adaptation?

This week, Professor tries to drive across America in Overland and DJ takes a time machine to a medieval battle royale.

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Valve Leaks, PS5, Live Action Anime Movies & Nightmares

As the year slowly slips away and the autumn leaves remind us of our inescapable mortality, it's time for another episode of Nerds Amalgamated.

First up this week, Valve is leaking and blowing off some steam. The entire source code for TF2 and CSGO has been leaked, and Valve News Network's source has some interesting rumours about Half Life 3.

The PS5 finally has a release date and a price. It's finally time to move to the next generation of consoles, but don't make space in your TV cabinet just yet.

More anime is becoming live action. Because that's exactly what everyone was begging for. This time it's Cowboy Bebop season 2 and One Punch Man.

But in another nightmare, your Ego has a big part to play in the frequency of nightmares. Is self-affirmation a more effective dream weapon than Freddy Kruger's claws?

This week, Professor went Old Skool and played Objects in Space, a modempunk space adventure. DJ chose a demolition derby to knock out some stress and Dev-i isn't ready to leave the VR Chat world just yet.

Come back next time for more Nerdy News.

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Robin Hood, Bohemia Interactive, ESRB & Mathematically perfect steak

Welcome back. We've been expecting you.

We have a bit of a longer episode than usual this week because we just had so many interesting people to talk about, including a liar who looks like Hugh Jackman, and one of the most prolific Astronomers to ever live.

But, first up, the Nerds discuss the rumoured Disney Robin Hood remake. In live action. With photorealistic CGI. This sounds terrifying. This is a terrible idea. This will haunt your nightmares forever.

One of Professor's favourite game studios has had a great year, and Professor wants to talk about their future. Bohemia Interactive has some great projects in the works that are well worth checking out, so we've got a summary for you.

Dev-i-Boy has brought us the ESRB's disappointing attempt to resolve the Lootbox debate. He and Professor agree that this is a poor response. Maybe one day there will be a solution, but not today.

Dev-i has also found the algorithm for creating the perfect steak. It involves dozens of factors and complicated equations. But don't pull this paper out next time you go to a barbecue, or everyone will go home before you start cooking.

As usual, we bring you the games of the week. Professor and his girlfriend are finding out why they shouldn't have kids in Think of the Children. DJ and Professor are still playing Generation Zero. Professor is better at surviving the robot apocalypse than he is at raising kids. Dev-i is playing VR chat again. We wish him luck in his quest to become an anime girl.

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Indiana Jones, Youtube, C.O.D Humvee & Lizard Eggs

This week the Nerds invited Dev-i-Boy on again. He'll be joining us for the next while.

First up is a discussion about Indiana Jones 5. Can Indy swing himself back into relevance for a new generation? Not if COVID-19 has anything to say about it. Indiana Jones 5 has been pushed back again due to the pandemic. The Nerds are hoping Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf doesn't make another appearance as Indy's son, but we'd be ok with him appearing as a cannibal tribesman. This of course leads into a discussion on Disney's other properties, including the notorious Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. This looks like a rough year for Disney.

Dev-i-Boy has heard that Russians are behind everyone's favourite YouTube channel, Five Minute Crafts. In a story reminiscent of bad Cold War fiction, Russian propaganda is slipped into innocuous seeming YouTube videos. Now we just need a team of teenagers to sneak into the secret Russian video studio lab and uncover their plot.

Activision has pulled off a major win in court against the maker of the Humvee. Modern warfare needs modern weapons, and the US courts have ruled in favour of realism over licensing fees.

Finally, DJ and Dev-i-Boy can't handle the knowledge. An Australian lizard joins the tiny group of reptiles that both lay eggs and give live birth. This revelation is too much for them to handle though, so we move on to the games of the week.

Professor and DJ play Generation Zero, a game about Swedish battle mechs and robot dogs that want to kill you. It's buggy, but generally a good experience. Dev-i played LoZ: Wind Waker again but breaks into a new dimension in VR Chat. Of course, he picked an anime girl avatar. Of course.

On to the usual shoutouts and remembrances, and DJ refuses to wrap up the show by performing Waterloo. Maybe next week.

Stay safe, and we'll see you all next week.

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DRM, Spring Anime & COVID-19

Crack and share. Until it is done. At least, if there's anything to crack. For the second time Bethesda have managed to release a game with a built-in crack for the Denuvo DRM. What's the story behind it? Incompetence, a rogue agent, or are Bethesda secretly the DRM free heroes we don't deserve? Doom Eternal is the latest casualty of Bethesda's DRM mistakes, and Professor wants to know why.

DJ has a list of the newest anime to watch this spring, or autumn if you live in the south. Southern Hemisphere Best Hemisphere. Get the latest ridiculously long anime names here!

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside after the fires, COVID-19 swept in. Where did it come from? A lab has dissected the DNA behind this threat and all signs point to COVID-19 not being a Chinese bioweapon. Keep the conspiracies coming, science knows what's what.

This week, both nerds played a Doom related game. Professor plays an official series game, but DJ plays a parody.

As usual, the Nerds discuss the latest shoutouts and events of interest. RIP Al Worden, Albert Uderzo and Kenny Rogers.

We'll be back next week for another episode. We're not going anywhere, and by the looks of things, neither are you.

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Seaweed, DMCA & Transformers

Professor and DJ are back to talk about billion-year-old seaweed found in China. This seaweed is older than the combined ages of all our listeners, but doesn't complain when you say "OK Boomer". It also has no thoughts on how you should live your life. Not many thoughts on anything, really, it's extinct. Professor summarises the development of life to DJ, but since DJ is a robot, he just doesn't get it.

Activision are trying some legal tactics to close some leaks while ignoring their own incompetence revealing the new Warzone game mode to the world without the efforts of a leaker. Are they just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic: Modern Zombies Ops 8?

This week it's DJ's turn to rant about a missing voice actor. #NOTMYOPTIMUS. A new Transformers series without Michael Bay is in the works from the same people who made the recent Godzilla anime trilogy. Who joins the ranks of the NA wall of wasted cast?

Of course, the Nerds talk about games and have some remembrances for some big names this week, Katherine Johnson and Kazuhisa Hashimoto.

Stay healthy, and we'll be back next week.

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Valve Index, Masters of the Universe & Crew Dragon

The Nerds are back, proving that 107 episodes just isn't too much for the human body to handle.

This week, the Professor has a complaint about that saintly game developer, Valve. What's his problem with Gabe and the multi award winning game studio? They're sold out of VR headsets with only a month to go before the release of Half Life: Alyx.

The Masters of the Universe are coming back as well. The Professor has another complaint, this time about the casting of Skeletor. He thinks it's ridiculous to bring back Skeletor's original voice in a different role and cast a new actor for Skeletor. Even if that actor is the esteemed Mark Hamill. DJ thinks this sacrilege is 100% ok. The star studded cast list has the Nerds highly excited for this revival.

Now that Dragon has been human rated, SpaceX have moved the capsule to the launch pad, and the crew are a pair of former Shuttle pilots. This will be the first manned space mission from the US since the Shuttle program was shut down. America Can Into Space? Soon, hopefully.

Professor and DJ have some trouble pronouncing American Indian and Finnish words in the Remembrances and Shoutouts, and laugh at the Boomers who couldn't believe Bill and Ted actually speak like that.

Stay hydrated and come hang out with us again next week.

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Sestrin, Star Citizen & Anime Spin off movie

Welcome to the latest episode from the Nerds. We have been lucky to have some glorious rain this week and have enjoyed it. Now for those who want to get healthy without the exercise we have news that will make you happy. There is research into a new protein that has delivered very interesting results so far. It is still a long way from human trials but so far it is looking promising. If it works it will help boost the health of people everywhere. Now, you are keen to know what this break-through is now aren’t you, well, you know what to do. That’s right folks, listen in and hear all about it.

                Next up we have news about a Violet Evergarden movie that is looking awesome. We know that you will enjoy this fine offering from Kyoto Studios. The movie involves Violet helping someone feeling trapped and missing someone they care about. We haven’t seen it yet so we can’t give you any spoilers, but with what we have managed to get hold of it is looking awesome. We invite you to listen in to learn more about it and hear what the Nerds think.

                Now last up we have Professor, who had trouble with water in his internet. This week he brings us news about Star Citizen, and it is looking interesting. We have the latest news about the law suit that was looming over the engine being used. We have news about a number of things surrounding this game. Which folks; is apparently now available for purchase at the low price of$40, or if you want to own your very own instant fleet that is an option. Yes Buck does his usual rant about the game and is a complete Boomer about it.

                As usual we have the game reviews, shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events of interest. We hope you enjoy this episode and as always remember to stay safe, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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QTime, Cat Robots & 2 Studio Ghibli Movies

With the wind rustling the trees, a faint hint of the bouquet from the honeysuckle on the air, the moon moved from behind the cloud. It was hard to accept that this was still the same group that everyone knew and liked (loved is suck a strong word and with Buck involved we might be stretching it a bit). The utter shock of it all is beyond belief; we are almost at that time folks. Yes, we really are almost at the 2 year mark. Tell your friends that like Keith Richards we have refused to stop going, like an aging rock band we are here once again. The Nerds are back!

                First up this week we have a segment about QTIME, what is that you ask? Well it is an amazing device to help when gaming is more important than life, but you still have to pay the bills. It is awesome for those parents that want to guide their dirt urchins out into the wide blue yonder and do their chores around the house. It is also the perfect way to destroy a room full of sports fans. Want to know exactly what this miracle device is, listen in and hear the Professor tell us about it and Buck hatch evil ideas.

                Now there are restaurants that have monkey waiters, cafes where you can cuddle a cat or puppy, there are even sushi bars with trains. Now we give you Cat Robots! Yes folks it is that time of year when the biggest collection of Nerds and Geeks gather. It is the CES once again and Buck has found that there are Cat Robots, also a super important and special bot for those times when you stuck needing a roll of paper. This is important and we invite you to tell us your favourite exhibit at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) we only discuss a couple, there are some many things it would require a special episode of its own.

                Next up we have DJ telling us about the news that Studio Ghibli are planning to release 2 new movies. The special part of this is we have an expected release date of….Listen in and find out when. Also we discuss what the movies theme is going to be. We don’t want to spoil it for you and tell you everything now, but we are sure you will enjoy it as much as we do. Lastly, we have the usual game played, shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events. Until next time, thanks for listening, take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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PS5 Controllers, 2020 in Anime & Mars Rover 2020

WOOHOO!!! Happy New Year folks, we hope you are all safe where ever you are in the world. May the new year bring you lots of joy and laughter. At the start of this episode we wish to celebrate the fact that we have achieved 100 episodes, yay!! Now, first topic of the week is from Professor, and it is looking at the PS5, yes that is right, the PS5. We seriously manage to get our one and only Professor talking about the PS5, and positively too. We discuss changes being made to the controller and what it means for the future and the past. Confused? Well listen in to find out exactly what is happening, the discussion is quite interesting.

                Next up we have DJ bringing us the year ahead in Anime. We have a list of some things to look forward to and what we hope for. We discuss what is looking interesting and why. DJ tells us his hopes and discusses what he likes on the list, and so does Buck. We also have news about upcoming changes to Evangelion. That’s right grab hold of something and get ready for this as it is awesome. If you want to know what is happening you know what to do.

                Next up we have Buck and the new Mars Rover set to launch later this year for the latest mission to Mars from NASA. This is looking sweet. Remember we were talking in a previous episode last year about the training of NASA scientists happening in Australia in preparation for the next mission? This is it! Yep, the search for signs of life on Mars is going to the next level with the new Rover. Buck is starting to Geek out about this and will be keeping us updated as news comes to hand. If you want to find out more about what is happening on the newest mission listen in and see where the smiley face is.

                As normal we have the regular shout outs, remembrances, Birthdays, and special events. We wish to ask that if you are able to donate to help the Rural Fire Services, or any Firefighter battling the fires in Australia please do. We have posted links on our Facebook page to a few and there are many other options, but please help, thank you. Once again we wish everyone a Happy New Year, stay safe, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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2019 Year Review

So, we come to the end of another calendar year, wow, thank you for all the support and listening to us each week as we look at topics we feel deserve more attention. Now this episode we are doing a year in review and discuss what some of our favourites were, what we felt were some of the highlights and what was just downright funny. So strap in as we look back on a year full of robots, space travel, recycling, and the energetic joy of Katie Bouman, and that is just the start. We also go for a ride looking at the movies and tv series that have made us laugh, cry, scream, and sit in awe throughout the year. We discuss the controversy of crazy violence and insanity in movies such as Rambo – Last Blood. Yep some one has claimed it is… Nope you will need to listen in to know what is happening. Also we look at the year in games and take stock of what has happened. We laugh at some of it, get annoyed at some, and shake our heads in bewilderment at others. We recap what has been some of the most exciting and stand out moments for us this year in terms of topics. We also include some special shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and events for the end of the year. So as the year draws to a close and the dawn of a new one creeps over the horizon we once more ask you to take care of yourselves, look out for each other, and stay hydrated.

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Kirigami, Anime & Remake

Here we are again the latest episode from the triplets of Nerdity, that’s right folks those wacky goofballs have done it again. First up we have Buck bringing us news about new robots using the art of Kirigami. The art of cutting paper, in this case it is cutting and folding paper. This method has been applied to robotics with some awesome results. Now while it is only early days, we ask you to remember the Origami claw we featured a while back. With this in mind you will understand why Buck is excited, and Professor joins in with the excitement. This is just the start of the show and it is already looking fantastic.

                Next we look at the dismal lack of taste exhibited by the foolish bunch of weirdos in Hollywood behind the Golden Globes. That’s right we said it, actually Buck did if any snipers are being sent for reprisals. But seriously, just get those idiots to go look at some of the amazing work in animation out there. It doesn’t have to be all CGI, honestly Hollywood was built on proper special effects. These days they struggle to do anything outside a computer lab. While we are not meaning to insult CGI and the wonders it can produce, why can’t we have some proper animation and anime getting awards. When can we see some real special effects like we used to get back in the day. Not meaning to sound as grumpy as Buck or as old as a Boomer but seriously the talent involved in special effects was astounding.

                Last we look at a remake of Sonic 06 that is actually looking good. That is until corporate lawyers realised they could make money by getting it shut down. Take a moment and open the link, doesn’t that look so much better then what was dumped on the market like so much garbage? The amount of work involved must be mind-blowing, but there may be hope for the future. Want to know what that might be, well you will need to listen in to find out. You thought I was slipping and going to tell you everything, but believe me, there is so much more for you.

                We finish with the regular shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events. As always we hope you take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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A Nerds Special - An Interview with An Aspie Life developer : Bradley Hennessey

Welcome to another fun filled instalment from the Nerds we all love. This week we have a fantastic special episode. We have a special guest join us and talk about their game and being a game developer. That’s right our guest has developed and published a computer game, entitled “An Aspie Life” and it is a lot of fun. Our guest is up and coming legend Bradley Hennessey and we ask those hard hitting questions that others are too scared to ask. If you want to know his choice of super power or the answer to cape or no cape you will need to listen in.

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Machines, Steam & Godzilla

Hello, Ni hao, G’day, welcome to another episode of rambunctious fun and games from those Nerds we all love. We wish to say an especially warm welcome to our friends in China, and thank you for listening, you are awesome. Now this week we have Buck up first with news about the rise of the machines. Now please note we said rise, not uprising, two totally different things which we explain in the show. We discuss the different attitudes between countries like Japan who are excited to see advancement in AI and robotics; compared to the sad grumpy people in Hollywood who think Robots are going to take over the world in a violent revolution. But honestly, if the robots are going to take over can they hurry up, I mean have you looked at what those apes we call politicians are doing to the place? Things are so bad we have idiots somehow gluing themselves to the road, we all learned about glue in at 5 years of age making arts and craft. Even then we never managed to glue ourselves to the floor.

Next up we look at France and the judgement against Steam finally coming down. Now this is going to be an interesting topic as we look at some of the ramifications. Plus we ask the real hard hitting question that really defines the situation. That’s right folks, you will hear it here first, are the French gamers really going to care what the courts and government say? Are Valve really going to be concerned about this? If in space no one can hear you scream are all farts silent but violent? Um, yes, well if anyone can answer those let us know, these are truly hard hitting facts that we wish to know.

This week we have a review from the DJ on the anime trilogy of Godzilla movies, and wow these are looking really cool. Spoiler, they rock and you should really take the time to go and watch them some time soon. While it is cgi animation it still works well and is a whole lot of fun with the usual Japanese drama that makes Anime so much fun. These movies are Godzilla: Planet of the monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, and the last movie Godzilla: The Planet Eater. Check them out and let us know what you think in the Nerds Amalgamated group page on Facebook.

As usual we have the games being played, shout out, remembrances, birthdays, and special events. Once again thank you for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode. Take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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Comets, He-Man & DayZ

Welcome back for another amazing episode from the Nerds, it is full of fun stuff, amazing science, and some crazy stuff. We hope as always that you enjoy it and perhaps by accident or intentionally learn something cool. I remember when I found out about chemistry, It was a long, long way from here, I was old enough to want it but younger than I wanted to be, Suddenly my mission was clear… All about chemistry. OK, I know that is the song Chemistry by Semisonic, but it relates to our first topic from Buck, which is all about chemistry and producing oxygen on Mars, Comets, and interplanetary space travel. That’s right we are one step closer to science fiction becoming reality once more. Honestly, where would the world be without science, science fiction, or Nerds to think up the impossible dreams? Although we must apologise for the zombie apocalypse resulting from the advancements in technology; otherwise known as reality television, social media, or just uncontrollable gaming. But, all that aside scientist have found a way to change carbon-dioxide (CO2) into beautiful oxygen (O2). That’s right, you heard us correctly, and it doesn’t involve a chemical scrubber like those currently used on submarines. No, this alters the very nature of the chemical bonds on a molecular level in a whole new way.

By the power of Greyskull, someone has the power. That’s right folks, He-Man is coming back to our screens in the near future it seems. DJ has brought us news that a new extension to the story of He-Man is in the works, he says it is an anime, but we aren’t sold. But it is exciting that it appears to not be a rebirth or re-imagining. But then again that is those weirdos over at Disney doing all the remakes, except for the unfortunate incident with She-Ra. Whoever is responsible for that fiasco is a greater villain than Skeletor and Hordak combined. Seriously, it was traumatic to see what had happened there. With the contentiousness of is it going to be able to claim the title of an anime aside, He-Man is looking promising.

Next we have the Professor bringing us news about the censorship of a few games in Australia and the impact that is having on the world. Now we normally don’t agree with a lot of the issues in censorship, or Material Ratings as they are referred to, but this time there is some merit. This topic is one in which the Nerds have a heated debate, and Buck really gets fired up, DJ gets angry and the Professor needs a whip and chair to keep them apart. So if you feel strongly about the topic of censorship this might be a poignant topic for you. We apologise if we offend anyone during this section (I know we don’t normally, but hey). Let us know what you think on the matter, is Buck an old fart that needs to be exhibited in a museum, is the DJ taking the matter too light, is it somewhere in between (like the Professor).

As always we have the games played this week, which is looking interesting. Also the weekly shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and events of interest. As always stay safe, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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