What next for Robot Wars & bringing it back

[psychostorm]

Return the Perimeter patrol zone to conquer OOTAs. also I'm thinking bungee cord.

[SamO]

I hate to get in the way of anyone's ideas, and I wish not to sound abrubt, but why try to fix something that isn't broken.

I mean, all that an untrained eye wants to see is mass destruction with big spinny things and I think that from the number of people that were watching the fights at GSL, we are already in a good position with this. Even Roaming Robots (Robot Wars) and Robots Live are getting sell out shows on many events. What I think we need to do is make what we have already got more publicised to a wider audience (i.e having events, as they are, shown on TV). Also, I was just searching through Dave (tv channel) listings and the comments that people had made about Robot Wars. People loved the show as it was, and I think as long as there is carnage, they won't care about the scoring system etc.

I also think that the main aim, in the short term, is to get HW spinners back up and running.

Anyways, just putting that out there

[Flag Captured]

I legitimately think that Robot Wars, in that format, had it's time. As much as I'd love to see it back, it's never going to be back to the style of Series 5-7 because there's just not going to be as many heavyweights about. What I would love to see, however, is Arenas of Destruction style 'makeshift' arenas - I know that's a logistical and health and safety nightmare, but it'd be rather cool to see robots fight in a disused factory, or in a scrapyard, or some obscure location to mix things up a tad, because I think that's why the viewing figures started to drop... each successive series (especially 5 onwards) was pretty much the same thing...

I think the 'golden age' of Robot Wars was definitely series 2-4, when the innovations were really coming out but there were also loads of variations of the formula like the gauntlet, Sumo Basho, Pinball... that kind of thing. Likewise, the whole idea of TechnoGames is something I'd love to see come back alongside Robot Wars. It had a lot more personality back then as well, it wasn't all fake aggression and shouting all the time - Craig Charles' little 'stand up' bit at the start of each episode was absolutely great, and I do think that's something that was really missing from the later episodes.

If it were to come back though, it'd need a major overhaul - I think the arena would need a complete redesign visually, the house robots would need improving (not to cause more unnecessary damage, rather to be as imposing as possible) and I think you'd need a massive structural change to the competition as a whole. Probably need a way of nerfing flippers a bit too, they were really popular later on as I'm sure you all know, and it wasn't as interesting to watch when a great number of robots had the same weapon. I'd love to see a new type of weapon 'invented' but I'm not sure what else can be done within the rules!


I've just been doing a video about all this for Youtube as well, so if it seems like I've got a lot to say on that matter, that's probably why!

[craig_colliass]

I have to say there is perhaps mileage in filming the raw material of the fights with broadcast quality cameras as every fight is unique and having good quality coverage of the fights has to be an asset that could be sold in the future.

I am sure the broadcast quality cameras are expensive but not as expensive to buy or hire as they were 12 years ago. Lighting would have to be increased but i am sure the lighting people would be able to adjust this. (speaking as an old man I could do with a bit more light in the arena anyway!!)

I am not saying the video footage has much commercial value at the moment, what I am saying is it could have in the future.
If Robot Wars goes back on TV the raw footage could be sold to the public as robot wars the early years, or even made into specials to be shown on any media. these can be edited into different formats, documentaries following the robot movement, or particular types of robots, or teams, or how things happened through the year or years or at particular venues, the list goes on!

The bottom line is the shows happen anyway so why not record them as best as you can?