The first thing that came to my mind when reading this was the movie Toys, where children play simulation games that actually control real fighter planes... it's weird that this is now coming true, although not in quite the same manner.

Thanks to Frontlines: Fuel of War! I knew that game had to be good at something!

give twenty thirty years and we won't be seeing a lot of soldiers on battlefields but behind the lines sitting in virtual cockpits controlling robots of semi-massive destruction firepower.
I am not sure whether it is a good idea or not.

Mechwarrior is cool but the idea of devastating war without the loss of human life is pretty damned appauling

was that intentional?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Appauling

actually no, it's too hot to concentrate here and it just takes too much energy to proofread

It's Gundam Wing all over again!!!

Personally I love mechs and loved some of earlier Mechwarrior books but man do they seem impractical! In reality it seems like most of them would be easily taken out by one guy with a well placed rocket launcher missile well either that or a cynical lolcat with a cheezbrgr...>_>

I swear that in one of the army/navy/airforce recruitment adverts on british TV before I left had some guy piloting a drone with a 360 controller.

spend 10 minutes on xbox live... that'll tell you. :-o
Anyone remember the old Star Trek episode where the two planets have reduced war to a computer simulation, and each night those determined as casualties report to the extermination chambers?
War that had been going on for centuries, because they had removed it's horror...

Impractial.... you should try daleks for size...
oh no! We're being invaded.. quick, run to the other side of th shag pile carpet!!
PS/ wow... does this forum auto combine posts???
yes it does! :-o

BattleTech and the like explain that the armour is made from the best alloys and is very, very thick (hence the huge weight--a decent mech starts at about 50-60 tons with the heaviest being 100 or even 120 tons). Of course, the crucial flaw with this is that, in reality, missiles and other weapons will continually be improved to effortlessly annihilate a target regardless of its great thickness or superior alloy. You have to throw some aspects of science and physics out the window. :)