Wookash Podcast

In this engaging conversation, Sean Barrett, a legendary graphics programmer known for his work at Looking Glass Studios and the STB libraries, shares his fascinating journey through the world of game development. He reflects on the evolution of graphics rendering, discussing innovations like texture mapping and portal engines. Barrett delves into the creation of the iconic Thief engine, revealing groundbreaking techniques in software rendering. He also touches on the impact of indie game jams and his experiences in building the STB libraries, enriching the graphics landscape.

In this episode Carson Gross – creator of htmx, joins me to reflect on the evolution of the web, the pitfalls of modern frameworks, and why simplicity still matters. We cover his programming roots, his teaching experience, the philosophy behind htmx, and his strong opinions on abstraction, complexity, and testing. Join us!HTMX book (free digital version!) https://hypermedia.systems/Mentioned blog: https://grugbrain.dev/Website: https://bigsky.software/cv/GitHub: https://github.com/bigskysoftwareWookash PodcastShow links: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lukasz-scigaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tExkDJcI6vvmpCguX8YgdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wookash-podcast/id1683109481Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J9u3apteD0EuFjzRpt71wRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dd7643a4/podcast/rssX: https://x.com/wookash_podcast

Anton Mikhailov, a tech wizard with a rich background in motion tracking and AAA game development, shares his insights into the world of high-performance coding. He delves into the evolution of motion gaming, contrasting innovative designs like the PlayStation Move with VR technologies. Mikhailov discusses the complexities of UI design in VR, the challenges of efficient programming practices, and the impacts of working in big tech versus gaming. His experiences illuminate the tech landscape, highlighting how creativity and technology intertwine in game development.

Nic Barker, a self-taught programmer and creator of Clay, shares his journey from web development to crafting a UI layout library in C. He discusses the excitement and challenges of low-level programming, the complexities of UI management, and the importance of ergonomic design. Nic also reflects on his love-hate relationship with C, the potential of macro-based specifications, and the communal spirit of open-source contributions. Enjoy insights on optimizing workflows and the balance between creativity and performance metrics.

Greg Kroah-Hartman, a key Linux kernel maintainer, shares his journey from coding on a TRS-80 to becoming a steward of Linux. He discusses the culture of open source maintainership and what it takes to be a contributor. The conversation dives into integrating Rust into the kernel for better safety, the collaboration between hardware companies and developers, and the evolution of the Linux Foundation. Greg also touches on Linux optimizations for gaming on Steam Deck and the intriguing role of Generative AI in development.

Join Nuno Leiria, the creator of Nilo, a new web-first (WebAssembly) game engine that uses genAI to help you create your game. We talk about why building games should feel as joyful as playing them, and how Nilo could help the next generation of creators get started.Nilo:Website: https://www.nilo.io/Discord: https://discord.com/invite/p3GM48mrXtX: https://x.com/NiloTechIncLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nilo-technologies/Nuno:Website: https://nunoleiria.com/X: https://x.com/NunoPLeiriaWookash PodcastShow links: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lukasz-scigaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tExkDJcI6vvmpCguX8YgdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wookash-podcast/id1683109481Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J9u3apteD0EuFjzRpt71wRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dd7643a4/podcast/rssX: https://x.com/wookash_podcast

Join Marcin Undak, engine lead for Diablo at Blizzard! We talk about game engines and Blizzard and how they differ from other solutions like Unreal, as well as how to think of game production, and what should you do to get a job at a AAA game studio! :) Join us!Diablo IV Expansion - Vessel of Hatred!https://diablo4.blizzard.com/en-us/Wookash PodcastShow links: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lukasz-scigaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tExkDJcI6vvmpCguX8YgdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wookash-podcast/id1683109481Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J9u3apteD0EuFjzRpt71wRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dd7643a4/podcast/rssX: https://x.com/wookash_podcast00:00 Highlights00:40 How Did the Programming Journey Start?04:17 CD Projekt Red and The Witcher II07:19 Ubisoft and The Watch Dogs Series09:45 Blizzard and Diablo IV11:02 Current role and Day-to-Day Work12:04 General Purpose vs. AAA Game Engines16:16 Working on a Game Engine19:56 Infrastructure and Processes - Big Games22:52 What He Enjoyed Working On23:56 Difficulties in Large Companies27:24 How Often Does the Engine Change?30:18 Non-Technical Complexity Made Easy35:23 Different Stages of Game Production39:09 Can the Engine Handle It All?44:05 Upside of Fast-Paced Game Shipping48:26 C++ and Scripting Languages54:56 Performance in Diablo IV01:03:48 Adding Features to the Engine01:07:02 AAA vs. Indie Development01:10:41 The Upside of AAA Studios01:22:50 Will AAA Studios Use Other Languages?01:30:44 Visual Studio Bad?01:38:42 Where Should You Start?

What does it really take to build a web browser from scratch? In this in-depth interview, Andreas Kling — the creator of the Ladybird browser and SerenityOS — shares his journey from working at Apple to founding an independent, open-source browser project completely free from corporate influence. We explore the surprising complexity behind rendering web pages, handling JavaScript, and building a modern browser engine with a small team. Andreas also opens up about leaving big tech, the challenges of performance, standards compliance, memory safety, and how Ladybird is proving that a few dedicated people can take on the giants!Ladybird: https://ladybird.org/Ladybird Project GitHub: https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybirdLadybird Project Discord: https://discord.com/invite/nvfjVJ4SvhAndreas’ Website: https://awesomekling.github.io/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AndreasKlingX: https://x.com/awesomeklingWookash PodcastShow links: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lukasz-scigaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tExkDJcI6vvmpCguX8YgdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wookash-podcast/id1683109481Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J9u3apteD0EuFjzRpt71wRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dd7643a4/podcast/rssX: https://x.com/wookash_podcast

Tomas Jakubauskas, instrumental in shaping Unity’s build systems and testing infrastructure, shares his fascinating journey through game development. He delves into the evolution of game engines and the intricacies of supporting countless platforms. Automation emerges as a key focus, alongside humorous anecdotes about the build process. Tomas also discusses the impact of programming language shifts and memory management, highlighting how AI is poised to change coding practices in the industry.

Freya Holmér has spent over a decade bridging the worlds of art and code — making tools, teaching math and shaders, and now building a brand new 3D modeling app for game developers. In this episode, she shares what it’s like to juggle creative burnout, perfectionism, and multiple ambitious projects at once. From Unity plugins like “Shapes” and “ShaderForge” to her deep skepticism of generative AI, we dive into what drives her work and the values behind it.Website: https://www.acegikmo.com/Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/acegikmoTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/acegikmoBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/freya.bsky.socialWookash PodcastShow links: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lukasz-scigaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7tExkDJcI6vvmpCguX8YgdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wookash-podcast/id1683109481Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J9u3apteD0EuFjzRpt71wRSS: https://anchor.fm/s/dd7643a4/podcast/rssX: https://x.com/wookash_podcast