Battlebots Cancelled!!!

[Elgin Clock]

Yeah!! Read the details here.

Finally maybe this means an end to the stupid overly asked question, "Is that a Battlebot?" /me think to my self, "How long does it take to forget a tv show???"

[Rob Colatutto]

those questions every team is plagued with will never end..... our robot will always be acused of being a battlebot

[WakeZero]

As a student of engineering, I am striving to be one so I may create the technology of the future. This is why I strayed away from battlebots... because it seems their mission is more of destruction. I want to create, not destroy.

None the less they did still support engineering and science, and if they are truly going away I find it sad. We need every program like FIRST or battlebots we can get =(

[David Kelly]

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM BATTLEBOTS INC.

BattleBots Inc. would like to inform the robot building community as to our future plans. Although we are dismayed by the Comedy Central decision not to renew for a Phase 6.0 Taping in November 2002, we are heartened by our promising opportunities and options for the future.

We are presently pursuing options with other television networks. We hope to revamp the format of our show by highlighting the builders as athletic heroes and high-tech role models. We will try to have the next incarnation of BattleBots on TV showcase the "behind the scenes" technologies of the
sport, with far less emphasis on satire and innuendo. We are doing our utmost to make this a reality. Stay tuned for updates.

We are also exploring the prospect of creating a "BattleBots Live USA Tour." This regional tournament circuit could tour up to eight (8) cities in the United States and follow a double elimination format. The regional advancers from this preliminary circuit would move onto a grand finale tournament that would crown the national champions of each weight class. We are very excited about this because it may usher in a brand new live event series for the sport of BattleBots. Stay tuned for more news on this front as well.

Although most of the aforementioned plans are still in the preliminary stages, we wanted you to know that we are working tirelessly to keep the sport flourishing at the highest level. Please remember that we are counting on your continued support and commitment. In the meantime, take care and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Sincerely,

BattleBots Inc

[Joe Matt]

Mabey this will lead to Universal dropping BBIQ...

BTW, Nickelodan is now running a batle robot program. Can't remember the name though.

[E. The Kidd]

Originally posted by JosephM
Mabey this will lead to Universal dropping BBIQ...

BTW, Nickelodan is now running a batle robot program. Can't remember the name though.

Its called robot wars...it used to come on TNN (This is worse than battle bots in my eyes. At least in battle bots its pretty much builder vs. builder.)

[evulish]

The one on Nickelodeon is supposed to be kid-built. They don't look kid-built. I'm assuming it's just the original Robot Wars people that have sons that want to hang around Anyways, yes, it is awful.

Everytime I mention robotics it goes like this:

Me: "Yeah...I'm on robotics"
Other: "Ohh...thats cool...how can I join?"
Me: "Go to a meeting on so-and-so night"
Other: "Ohh...what's the robot do?"
Me: "Run around and grab onto stuff" (I say more than that, actually)
Other: "That's boring. I thought you killed stuff. I wanna be a battle bot"
Me: *visciously attacks 'Other'*

Then there are people that would join if they weren't "busy." "Ohh...I don't wanna miss school" I tell them they don't have to...they just kinda look at me then it ends

[DaBruteForceGuy]

Originally posted by evulish
[b]The one on Nickelodeon is supposed to be kid-built. They don't look kid-built.

Yeah i was lookin at that. I think it is the TNN thing with the kids as drivers.
I am startin to hate these robot shows. Not only because "why build something to get it distryed" but it is a diss to all robotic innovation industries around the world. It udermines all that we stand for by giving the public a veiw of robot innovation as a stupid hobbie and destructive investment. It really ruins the efforts to try to get people interested in the feild, including the companies once interested in investing in such a technology.
Besides, it makes us look bad

[Adam Y.]

Arrrrg Battlebots isn't cancelled. It's mearly trying to find a better tv sponser or an non-tv alternative. Robot Wars on Nick doens't have kid built robots it only has kid drivers. Btw it really seems you guys really don't get your facts straight about robots wars, battlebots and the such. Yesterday I found an old post complaining about how people on Robotica got unlimited time to build their bots which isn't even true. Btw robotic combat is as old as first robotics so it isnt' going anywhere soon.

but it is a diss to all robotic innovation industries around the world

I wouldn't say that all battlebots aren't innovative.

Besides, it makes us look bad

How does it make you guys look bad?????

[MattK]

Originally posted by wysiswyg
Arrrrg Battlebots isn't cancelled. It's mearly trying to find a better tv sponser or an non-tv alternative. Robot Wars on Nick doens't have kid built robots it only has kid drivers. Btw it really seems you guys really don't get your facts straight about robots wars, battlebots and the such. Yesterday I found an old post complaining about how people on Robotica got unlimited time to build their bots which isn't even true. Btw robotic combat is as old as first robotics so it isnt' going anywhere soon.
I wouldn't say that all battlebots aren't innovative.
How does it make you guys look bad?????

I agree, Its kinda like the difference between Archory to kill a animal and archory in the Olympics.

[DaBruteForceGuy]

[i]I wouldn't say that all battlebots aren't innovative.
How does it make you guys look bad????? [/b]

I am not saying that the robots aren't innovative, actually they are incredable. I think the robots are awesome in that competition, it is the concepet. if a company sees a bunch of robots beating at each other they see "ooooh look, thats great entertainment" --vs-- (FIRST's objective) A group of technical engineers developing robots to help the elderly, make rescues, explore distant planets, explore ocean crevises, enable a person to walk again... they are gonna say "Wow, now that is a great pursuit in the advancement of human kind" WELL....
Which one would u pick?

[mrobrien]

It seems like everyone in FIRST is completely against battlebots. I built a robot for battlebots before coming to high school and competed, and I can say that I've learned more and had more fun with Bbots then I have with FIRST. I can also say that I have seen much more "gracious professionalism" at the battle bots competition than at a FIRST regional, even though battlebots hasn't come up with any slick terms for sportsmanship. (though you have to take into account the age difference between the average FIRST and average Bbots competitors) And battlebots DOES emphasise learning and technology... Comedy Central, however, does not, and as they have produced the show for the past 5 seasons, the only thing most people see is a mixture of carmen electra, stupid comedians, an announcer who makes bad jokes, and two jocks. Only a small portion of the T.V show (Bbots is a competition, not a show!) is actually dedicated to robots fighting. Now that Bbots is no longer affiliated with Comedy Centeral, hopefully it can find a new network with a different emphasis.

One more thing: People who build something hugely expensive with a reasonable chance of getting it destroyed have to realize that the knowledge and experience gained are the real rewards. Nobody with enough intelligence to do something like this would seriously consider the small potential of getting on T.V. or winning a prize worth it. (or at least nobody has yet) FIRST doesn't have this automatic filtering of nimrods.

[rbayer]

I, too, am sick of hearing people attack BB. Over the summer, a group of friends and I (mostly me) completely designed a Battle Bot. I can honestly say it was far more educational than the FIRST setup because I did everything. In FIRST, engineers do a lot of work or at least tell us what to do. Through my experience with BB, I can now make technical drawings of every part necessary to build a robot and better understand all the details that go into design. Furthermore, BB is far more accessible financially than FIRST is or ever will be (the entrance fee is only $300 and parts aren't that expensive). Now that BB 6.0 has been cancelled (or at least postponed), I have nothing to do with my 80+ drawings of Aluminum parts.

Even after all that, I still believe FIRST is an excellent program. I won't say its better than BB, nor will I say BB is better than FIRST; they are different programs with different target builders and are not even comparable.

[Joe Matt]

Fine, but were not talking about you guys. Were talking about the public. They don't see learning or sportsmanship. They see distruction. No matter how much you dress it up with expensive clothes, a pig is still a pig.

[mrobrien]

Fine, but were not talking about you guys. Were talking about the public. They don't see learning or sportsmanship. They see distruction. No matter how much you dress it up with expensive clothes, a pig is still a pig.

You mean Bbots is a pig or the public is a pig? and why would anyone dress a pig in expensive clothes? anyways, the REASON the public doesn't see any learning or sportsmanship, as I said, is because CC turns it into a man show(carmen electra)/stand up comedy(stupid commedian interviews)/make fun of geeks(that's the robot part)/make fun of wrestling(announcer)/whatever they're trying to do(no idea) presentation. CC is no longer with Bbots and hopefully Bbots will find some producer/network that knows what it's doing and puts more emphasis on the good stuff. What's your argument against that?