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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Bionic Eye, Miquela & Manchester United

Congratulations SpaceX for their sucessful manned Crew Dragon mission to the ISS.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. It's not as great as Steve Austin's bionic eye from the Six Million Dollar Man, but it's pretty cool. Scientists have made a bionic eyeball inspired by the actual working of the human eye. This cool tech isn't ready to go in a human head yet, but when it is we can only hope it's cheaper than Steve's eye.

Robots are here, and they're coming for your jobs. Now even actors don't have job security. Miquela is a CGI replacement for advertising models is now leaving Instagram and breaking into acting. Which raises a concerning question. How long until they replace the podcasters?

Football manager is one of the most popular management simulators. Recently they've come under fire from Manchester United for copyright issues. Despite letting it slide for almost 30 years, Man U have decided it's time to sue.

This week in gaming DJ jumps at shadows in Alan Wake and Professor goes full Groundhog Day in Into the Breach.

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Space Movie, Space Cement & PokeCoin

Nanoo Nanoo.

Ryan Gosling is going back to space for Andy Weir's next book, which isn't even out yet but is already casting actors. This one has a working title of Project Hail Mary and features a lone scientist on a spaceship trying to save the world. Slightly higher stakes than The Martian, but Andy's books are always great.

Astronauts are also going to use pee to build houses on the moon. Let's hope NASA has a large surplus of air fresheners to send up with them, because this cement is probably the most useful way to use human waste on the moon, but it's going to smell.

Back on Earth, Niantic are trying to deflate the Pokecoin economy by severely lowering the minimum wage. Nobody seems to be happy with this, but Australia is just the test site, so it's coming to a phone near you soon.

This week Professor took a trip to a far away planet to care for slimes, and DJ found out what happens when you swim with the cardsharks.

Check in next week for probably less pee jokes. Probably.

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Nintendo Lawyers, Home Gardening & Comic-Con At Home featuring Shaun from Comics2Movies

This week we invite our special guest Shaun Keenan, creator of Xtreme Champion Tournament (in which mythical and legendary heroes face off) to share his thoughts on some news from San Diego Comic Con.

Kicking things off, the Nerds discuss Nintendo's itchy DMCA trigger finger, they’ve taken down the tragically short-lived DirectX 12 Super Mario 64 Port. This was a fan work based on the Mario 64 decompilation project, reformed into a gorgeous 4k Ultra-Widescreen rendition of everyone's favourite plumber. And they also lost 2TB of data including user account details, which are now being used to hack people. Oops.

There's now one less reason to leave the house, since gardening provides a boost to your emotional well-being that is as powerful as going out for dinner or taking a run. Grow chickens and you have an excuse for a dinner and a run as well. So, is gardening the ultimate weapon against millennial depression memes?

Lastly, Shaun chips in to talk about SDCC's move to being an online only event. Pros: Better food. Better chairs. No lines. Cons: No costumes. No crowd excitement. It's a tough sell for some of us, but the rest of us are perfectly happy to stay at home.

This week, Professor broke his brain in HyperRogue and DJ confronted his fear of the dark in Alan Wake.

Come back next week, we miss you.

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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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Half-Life, Dragon's Lair & A NEW PLAYER HAS ENTERED THE GAME !!!

This week the Nerds welcome Dev-i-boy to the group. Dev-i-boy is also known as Brad, a Brisbane game developer, who we interviewed around a year ago. Check that one out too, it's a good one and it'll be in the show notes below.

Professor and Dev-i-boy are gushing over Half Life: Alyx, despite a massive lack of Valve Index availability in Australia. Why, Valve, why?. HL:Alyx also doubles as an online lecture platform, a Cover your Cough training simulator and apparently, a generally good game.

DJ wants to see the Dragons Lair movie. Ryan Reynolds has been cast in a live action remake of a classic animated Laserdisc game from 1983. Don Bluth is on board, so it should be something interesting to watch.

Once again, the Nerds take on the topic of dinosaur chickens. Professor rants about the software design skills of Dennis Nedry and Dev-i-boy thinks there's no point in bringing back dinosaur chickens. But imagine the drumsticks on those chooks.

As usual, we cover the games of the week and remember some famous figures who passed away this week.

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High Stakes, Hollywood & Forbidden Library

It's that time of week again, so check out our newest episode.

To start this week, we have a bit of levity. NASA have programmed one of their robots to hit itself with a shovel. It's all for a good cause, they want to get their InSight lander's mole digging again. The probe became stuck and using the shovel as a hammer is just the latest attempt to get it going again.

DJ wants to tell us about Hollywood's response to COVID-19, including delays to the filming of Amazon's Lord of the Rings series. Now New Zealand has closed their borders and the Hobbits will not be going to Isengard.

Next, it's time to enter THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY. It isn't just in Harry Potter anymore; a group have created a library dedicated to copying articles from countries without press freedom. Did we mention it's in Minecraft? Next time you get busted playing Minecraft when you should be doing homework, just say you're researching.

On this week's games section, Professor makes a declaration that will surely lead to war. Having experienced Final Fantasy 7 and Black Mesa, he declares Black Mesa the better remake. If anyone has an issue with this, we'll have to substitute fisticuffs with videogames.

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Coding, Loot Boxes & Mrs Doubtfire

Now, you may be wondering why I have called you all here today.

The reason, of course, is this week's episode of Nerds Amalgamated.

This time, the Nerds discuss the hidden genetic code in POLG. Not PUBG, POLG. And these hidden genes aren't blue. Check out the full article, it's a hell of a read.

The Australian Parliament is taking a look at regulating lootboxes. This will get the Libertarians wound up. But will the Australian government actually listen to their committee this time, or will Professor and DJ get to complain about politics again?

DJ thinks Mrs Doubtfire will lose her charm on Broadway. But anyone who can pull off an 18 second sex change has to be fun to watch.

This week's game section involves Professor gushing over Black Mesa and DJ taking a hike in Walking Simulator.

As always, stay hydrated and don't get COVID-19.

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Oscars, Solar Orbiter & Mythic Quest

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, we hope at the least you had a good evening snuggling up with your favourite movie.

Starting off this week, DJ tells us about the results of the latest Celebrity Worship Awards. Who won? Which actor is deserving of our endless praise? Buck and Professor are sceptical, but DJ jumps right in to tell us all about the Oscars.

Buck wants to leave the planet to escape the Oscars, so he’s been looking into the newest Solar Orbiter. This probe will be looking at the Sun’s poles. Maybe the weather is better away from the equator?

Professor has been binge watching Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, the new television show from Ubisoft, Apple TV, and the team behind It’s Always Sunny. Professor might be geeking out a little about having the burdens and struggles of being a game developer shown on TV.

The Nerds talk about their games of the week, then finally we have the Shout outs, Remembrances, Birthdays and Events of Interest. This week we’re recommending Epigraphy, a poetry podcast Buck hopes to take a shot at. Check back soon to find out if he can poet as well as he can podcast.

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Gaming Hotels, Money & Nebula

Hello, welcome, and G’day, we are so happy to have you join us again for our latest episode. When we say episode we don’t mean Buck having a rant and all that; just thought we should clarify that up front. Now we have a bumper episode this week with lots of stuff for you to enjoy.

            First up we have Professor bringing us news about Atari’s plan to open a chain of hotels. They have announced that they will be themed and focus on developing E-sports functionality. But we wonder is it going to be presented with the old style timber/brown laminate like we used to see on the old Atari? Guarantee that it won’t be the first option for the honeymoon market, although, any ladies who think that would be cool let us know that we are wrong once again. Following this Professor has the ESA’s environmentally unfriendly stance against the right to repair and modify your machines/consoles. BOO HISS!!! How lame can these idiots be, I mean, don’t they realise that advancements in technology have come about by people looking under the hood and figuring out ways to do things better?

            Next up we have DJ talking about IDW losing money and what they are planning to do about it. Apparently they have announced they are struggling in various markets with the material they are presently distributing. Of course the solution would be to develop new material, breathe new life into the company instead of just pumping out more of the same thing. But, no, they are hoping that their partnership with Netflix will save them. Then DJ brings us news on the critic’s reviews on Birds of Prey for us to laugh at and make fun of. Seriously, does anyone actually take them serious anymore? Buck suggests that if Rotten Tomatoes give a film a bad rating it must be good, and if it is good then stay away. What do you think, does that sound like a good approach to use?

            Then Buck has the latest on the Spitzer Space Telescope, which has just retired. After being on mission since 2003 it has provided heaps of data for scientist, with the first images and data being of the Tarantula Nebula. In homage to its origins the last images and data developed by Spitzer were also of the Tarantula Nebula. Which honestly is a hotbed of activity, with the explosion of a supernova that was first discovered in 1987 (interestingly called 1987a) and still sweeping through space creating some awesome images. Also there is a collection of 40 massive stars at least 50 times the size of our sun all in a tiny area together. If this isn’t enough for you Buck also brings us news of the latest evolution of robot tanks. Before anyone gets all Terminator Judgement Day on us, they are not all armed and those that are still need a person involved to fire on a target. But for those who are looking for an alternative to a trailer that hitches to your car, we might have a solution for you.

            We hope you enjoy this bumper episode this week. As normal we have the usual shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events. Let us know what you think, make requests if you have a topic you are interested in having us dig into. Or just drop us a line and we will give you a special shout out. As always, remember to take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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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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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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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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Pegg, Dungeon & Hanabi

Welcome back for another amazing episode from the triplets of mayhem, the Nerds Amalgamated crew. This week we have an excellent show for you to enjoy with everyone in fine form and having fun. The first topic of the week is from DJ looking into Simon Pegg claiming that cinema appears to be dying. Now does this relate to the comments about thin margins in movies? Well, that is a good question and if you want to know more you will have to listen in to find out. But we are you will laugh when you listen to this section.

                Next up Professor unveils his darker side and lures us into a dungeon…. What, he doesn’t… oops sorry apparently that was supposed to be Professor tells us about a dungeon game made by an AI. My apologies, but it is a reasonably easy mistake to make, after all he is a bit of a mad scientist. But this is looking really cool and fun, some of the options in this are pretty outstanding. Once again this is not a warning about AI trying to take over the world…yet.

                Last up we have an AI system that is learning how to work co-operatively with people, and possibly manipulating them. Buck brings us a story about some research from Facebook’s AI team that is pretty darn well ground breaking in regards to the results being achieved. We are talking about an attempt to formulate a near perfect response to an imperfect problem. What does that mean, well listen in and you can find out.

                As usual we have the games being played, with Buck changing his at the last second which is kind of cool. Then this is followed by the regular variety of shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and special events. We are offering a new service, if you are feeling a little pompous and wish to regain that sense of reality Buck is offering to develop a personal insult just for you. As always please remember to take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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Magnetic Waves, Piracy & Valve

We hope that everyone is well and enjoying the start of the holidays season. This week we have the answer to the mystery of why the Sun is so hot and the dispersal of magnetic waves during solar flares. That’s right, one of those little mysteries that has been confounding scientists for years appears to have been solved with evidence supporting the rejection of the null hypothesis. Ooops, sorry, in other words research that explains why it appears to happen has been developed. So if you would like to know more about why that is then please listen in and enjoy this discussion that does wander off topic occasionally but in a fun way.

Next we look at the effect piracy is having on Marvels profit margin (which as a Disney corporate entity we must acknowledge are very slim margins). We discuss this and consider the alternatives such as going digital like XCT and some of the other projects from our friend Shaun at Comics2movies have begun to do. Buck wanders down memory lane reminiscing about when he was a boy (OK Boomer does not apply here as Buck isn’t that old). Can you believe that comic books used to only cost 15 cents? These days it is $10 and has less of a story in some cases, although XCT is cool if you want a great read.

Last topic is Valve news and what is happening with them. For example did you know that they are in the process of ending their controllers? Also did you know that they have recently had a sale on these controllers? Professor did and has bought one, even though they weren’t on sale here? Also Half-Life Alyx the VR experience game is looking downright awesome, if the promo video is anything to go by this is a game to get into.

As usual we have the regular shout outs, remembrances, birthdays and events for the week. Until next time remember to look out for each other, take care of yourselves and stay hydrated.

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Loneliness, Sweating & Ben Affleck

Welcome everyone to another episode of Nerds Amalgamated, we would like to take a moment and congratulate all those who are graduating university, school, or just having an excellent week. “The pursuit of knowledge is never ending. The day you stop seeking knowledge is the day you stop growing. Brandon Travis Ciaccio.” So, no we have set a serious mood let’s look at the first topic, which is that video games are an excellent way to combat loneliness. Also, that video games are helpful for men to combat issues such as social isolation and stress for men in today’s society. That’s right, read that correctly, video games are beneficial to men’s health and should be encouraged. What to know more to help develop those arguments for the girlfriend or boss, listen in and find out what we are talking about.

Next up Buck has decided to bring us a mystery to try and solve. Now who doesn’t love a good puzzle? If like Buck you love sitting down with a crossword, a Sudoku or reading a good detective novel then you will love this. We have a mystery that is 500 hundred years old, has some of the most baffling elements and to top it off has stumped many professional investigators over the years. We are talking about a mass murder that struck fear in the hearts of the population of England. This is a mystery that is guaranteed to get you remembered in history if you solve it. Want to know what Buck has unveiled for us to ponder, listen in and find out.

Now Ben Affleck is not someone who we get excited about, in fact he makes Buck yawn at the mere mention of his name. In fact I just yawned at the thought, crikey why are we talking about him? Well, it appears that he has a movie in the works that is looking kind of good, it is a topic that we hope he does justice to. Now we know that Hollywood has failed to deliver anything great for some time now, but this story has potential. We aren’t going to hold our breathe, and not just because of Benny boy of the sleep inducing performance. The reality is that the story is one that needs to be told with a sensitivity and care that is hard to deliver. This is something the likes of Spielberg should be directing. Want to know what it is we are talking about? You know what to do.

As usual we have the regular shout outs, birthdays, remembrances, and special events. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you want to give us feedback we are always happy to hear from you. Take care of yourselves, look out for each other and stay hydrated.

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Pokémon Crash, Beetles & Fox Movies

Hello and welcome to another illuminating episode of fun and frivolity with those goofballs from Nerds Amalgamated. First up we have a story about how Nintendo are crashing Roku devices. That’s right, Nintendo have an issue with Pokémon Sword and Shield that is causing Roku to crash and shut down. Now if you want to know more you will need to listen in and then you can tell us what you think in our Facebook group if you think Buck is being to grumpy.

Next up we have the start of Jurassic Park with a beetle trapped in amber. That’s right, a real beetle trapped in amber. This one in particular is historical due to a few important factors, such as the age of the beetle. Would you believe it was around almost 100 million years ago? That’s right and it played an important part in the local ecology. Want to know how the listen in for our second story and then tell us what was your favourite part of the Jurassic Park movies?

Last up we have those poor people at Disney having to vault movies to try and increase the value and increase the margins. That’s right, since Disney the evil organization seeing world domination have bought Fox media they have begun to reduce access to Fox movies to create a false scarcity. This is only one of the underhanded things that they are doing, if you want to know more you know what to do. Also let us know what you think about these dirty tricks by Disney in our group.

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2019 Supernova review featuring Shaun from Comics2Movies

Roll up, roll up, roll up, or if you are in Queensland and melting in this heat wash up instead. Wow, this week we have an awesome and exciting show full of fun and laughter for you to enjoy. We also have a special guest joining us to recap the fabulous Supanova Brisbane!!! That’s right folks, Supanova again (we need Kermit the Frog here running off waving his hands). We talk about some of the cool things we saw, some of the things that made us laugh, and why Buck seems to fear lycra, although to be fair it is a valid point.

We also announce the winner of the Nerdy Bag of holding competition. Congratulations to Jessica on winning our inaugural Supanova competition. We hope to have it again next year so, make sure you listen to get involved, also next year we will make entry available for our international listeners. Now I can give you no more spoilers or teasers on this week’s episode as there is just sooooo much to look forward to other then yes, Buck did argue with some people at Supanova.

Oh, we do have the games being played, the regular shout outs, remembrances, birthdays and special events for the week. We also wish to give a special thank you to some awesome people, the legends at Sons of Obiwan, the heroes at SuperTee, and the Rockstar Shaun at Comics2Movies, they all contributed gear to the Nerdy Bag of Holding. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen. Also a huge thank you to the all-powerful Podfather (All hail the Podfather) for helping us be at Supanova and the Baroness for all her hard work in organizing the event, also her patience when we were misbehaving like little boys with all the excitement.

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