Best Middleware Podcasts (2024)

1
"It's hard how my mind works." Audio Middleware; Psychic Distance

5h ago

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There are now episodes of Nice Games Club for each new day of the year! When you get to the last day of that year, you'll hear about Audio Middleware and Psychic Distance from us in the clubhouse. About the Fair - Minnesota State Fair 0:17:06 Audio Middleware An example of audio tech conversations we've had in the past. Game Audio Tools and Workflo…

1
Optimization (with Jarryd Huntley)

44m ago

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Entering the clubhouse this week is our the third Owl (employee of Owlchemy Labs) and first Peabody Award winner (as lead developer for We Are OFK), to talk about the "dos," "don'ts," and "good enoughs" of optimization. Cleveland video game designer Jarryd Huntley wins Peabody Award for ‘We Are OFK’ - Joey Morona , cleveland.com We are OFK - Peabod…

1
S07E01 - LinqPad and Building Developer Platforms with Joe Albahari 1:03:43

6d ago1:03:43

1:03:43

RJJ Software's Software Development Service This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by RJJ Software's Podcasting Services, whether your company is looking to elevate its UK operations or reshape its US strategy, we can provide tailored solutions that exceed expectations. Show Notes "You can use Linq to write database... to query…

1
Nice Thinking: "Player Personas"

13d ago

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In this episode the boys are back in Minneapolis, but they are still thinking about their time with Ellen in Duluth, or Roboluth ;) s So they are using this episode to talk about instructions, again, but this time though the lens of the different types of "user personas" who will be reading it. Instructions What is Roboston? Roboston is a tabletop …

1
The Duluth Basement Session

18d ago

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Once again from hilly Duluth, Minnesota! On Day 2 of a game design weekend retreat, your nice hosts tackled rules—writing rules, rewriting rules, and playtesting them. It was a long day, culminating with a family playtest of Roboston, featuring a newly written rulebook. How did it go? Well, there's more work to be done, but we learned a lot. Your h…

1
"Apply your context, thusly." Instructions; Cynicism

15d ago

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It's a nice sleepover as this (and next) week's episode is recorded from Ellen's basement in Duluth. Mark has an angle, Ellen shares her topic, and Stephen manages. The view from the rotating resturant that Mark took Stephen to - Ragnar Eythorsson , YouTube Karen Puzzles - Karen Kavett , YouTube 178 (TNG) + 176 (DS9) + 7 (TOS movies, including "Gen…

1
"The lensing effect of the window." Theming vs. Aesthetics; Parries

22d ago

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It’s hot in the clubhouse and hot in Ellen’s greenhouse this week, so your hosts are eager to crunch through some discussion. Ellen introduces the concept of the MDA framework, and the differences between Theming and Aesthetics, and Stephen comes to a major conclusion about parrying. 0:06:40 Theming vs. Aesthetics The MDA Framework Wikipedia Ellen …

1
Accessibility (with Dave McKee)

1M ago

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We invite music producer and sound designer Dave McKee into the clubhouse to talk about accessibility in games this week. Accessibility Accessibility Game Design Control Accessibility Report - "Vivek Gohil, Ben Kendall" , Family Gaming Database Inclusive Gaming: How Game Developers Can Make Video Games More Inclusive And A… - Accessibility.com Visu…

1
"Imagine it's running on a potato." Targeting Multiple Platforms; Spirit Island Spirits

1M ago

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We face complexity head-on this episode with two topics that will get your neurons firing. Mark walks through considerations involved with publishing a game to multiple platforms. It's not easy, but it's a lot easier if you plan for it from the start! If you've listened to recent episodes, you'll know that Stephen has been obsessed with the tableto…

1
Physics 101 (with Scott Lembcke)

2M ago

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"Pillar of the community" and creator of Chipmunk2D Scott Lembcke visits the clubhouse to talk velocity, constraints, and rigidbodies. Ellen gets the music in her head, Stephen didn’t learn the opposite lesson, and Mark makes a pretty good joke about friction. Physics 101 Programming Chipmunk2D - Scott Lembcke , GitHub Gopher (protocol) Building Ex…

1
Generative AI for .NET Developers with Amit Bahree 1:07:32

2M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by RJJ Software's Podcasting Services, where your podcast becomes extraordinary. Show Notes Maybe start with Generative AI. As you, I think, touched on, it's different from what we call "traditional AI." And I also want to acknowledge the term "traditional AI"l is very odd to …

1
"Gentlemen, is this where the fisticuffs occur?" Familiarity; Pacing Mechanics

2M ago

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In this episode, Stephen gets excited about Summer Games Done Quick, reveals some Doctor Who spoilers, and then is shocked that Flappy Dragon has more dragons. Ellen ponders rituals, and why she comes back to some games and not others. And finally, Mark wonders if it is okay to get lost in a super-fun mini-game. 0:12:21 Familiarity Ellen asks the i…

1
Nice Games Jam: "The Bike Boom"

2M ago

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In the first Nice Games Jam in a few months (and we made it a long one!), your nice hosts explore the history of bicycles to develop a racing board game. Our last Nice Games Club episode: Eddies Two Wheels Good - Jody Rosen Safety Bicycle - Wikipedia Prompt Design a racing game in a historical setting. Game type Tabletop game Player count 2 - 4 Mat…

51
Navigating the ASP .NET Core Maze: From Middleware to Minimal APIs and Modern C# with Andrew Lock 1:08:20

2M ago1:08:20

1:08:20

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes Yeah, exactly. And it means you can, if you see it in its sort of native place, next time that you're writing som…

1
"Ellen's going to be so mad!" Creative Direction; Time Management

3M ago

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Time is money, friend! Okay, not always. Sometimes time is a puzzle involving many interlocking responsibilities. That’s Beth’s situation, and she asks Mark and Stephen for advice on time management in the second half of this roundtable episode. During the first half, Stephen shares some BIG NEWS that will soon place some additional responsibilitie…

1
The Intersection of Puzzle and Story (with Ron Gilbert)

3M ago

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Your nice hosts welcome famed designer Ron Gilbert (Monkey Island, Thimbleweed Park) into the clubhouse to discuss the virtues of inexperience, friction for its own sake, how it's all about story, and it's puzzles all the way down. The Intersection of Puzzle and Story Game Design Narrative Production Return to Monkey Island will have a hint system …

1
Breaking the Compromise: Unravelling the Truths of Cyber Security with Lianne Potter and Jeff Watkins 1:12:39

3M ago1:12:39

1:12:39

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes What do they go for? They go for one that's separated from the herd. And the idea behind cyber security nowadays …

1
"The super-powerful beam or whatever." Code Libraries; Game Overs

3M ago

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This week, your nice hosts talk about code that isn't yours and ask about the natural conclusion of the narrative. Mark is handy, Ellen kinda wants to add a note, and Stephen is grounded. It looked so easy in the brochure, but the brochure lied - Antony Ingram , Hagerty 0:07:41 Code Libraries Best practices for writing code comments Ellen Spertus S…

1
Game Production (with Ryan Adams)

3M ago

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This week we invite Ryan Adams, of Corgi Art House fame, to discuss his expertise in game production. Ryan shows us how production is more than just moving tickets around, and how valuable it is to have someone on the team organizing tasks for everyone. But also, there's plenty of moving tickets around! Game Production Production Corgi Art House Bl…

1
.NET Unwrapped: From Workflow Engines to Identity, A Developer's Journey with Dustin Metzgar 1:22:53

3M ago1:22:53

1:22:53

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes I want it to be like one of those books that you can pick up and you can, like, you don't have to have .NET exper…

1
"One thing cannot hold all the passion I have." Pivoting; Working on Multiple Projects

4M ago

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This episode recounts each guests' recent project - Stephen is developing a new spirit for Spirit Island, Ellen is getting into music, and Mark talks at length about his car. The club helps Ellen process a recent pivot her company had to make. And Mark reveals some simple insights from his life: urgent vs. high priority, he has an irritating existe…

1
Creative Process & Workflow for Music (with Kobe Anthony (aka MEMODEMO))

4M ago

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As MEMODEMO, Kobe Anthony creates music for video games and inspired by video games. In this episode, we learn about Kobe's creative process for composing music. He also shares a bit about how he uses his DAW (digital audio workstation) to capture sounds and convert them into melody and beats. Also featured in this episode: memes, rhythm games, and…

1
Temporal: Orchestrating Success in Distributed Systems with Security and Simplicity with John Kattenhorn 1:11:02

4M ago1:11:02

1:11:02

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. NService Bus This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by NServiceBus, the ultimate tool to build robust a…

1
Nice Thinking: "Dialogue Through Goals"

4M ago

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Stephen brings a half-baked thought into the clubhouse for this Nice Thinking episode: how can we improve dialogue systems? He's got some opinions, which Mark and Ellen immediately debunk, but it leads to some engaging conversation. Dialogue Through GoalsBy Ellen, Stephen, and Mark

1
Your game has a message... did you write it?

4M ago

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Last month, Mark gave a talk at the IGDATC Gamedev Meeting about what it might mean to take game development seriously as an artistic practice, theorizing that video games are still a very young and immature medium by that standard. It's "sorta-Socratic" seminar, a set of three case studies, and a string of stone cold bummers that ends on a hopeful…

1
Uno Platform: One UI to Rule Them All with Martin Zikmund 1:06:17

4M ago1:06:17

1:06:17

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes Uno Platform started off as the core UI framework. UI and non UI, because as part of Uno Platform itself, you hav…

1
"A slow meat computer" King Making; Thinky Bits (Off-Screen Gameplay)

4M ago

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In the episode, Mark, Ellen, and Stephen talk local events, including (don’t worry everyone’s fine) a fire in the clubhouse’s building, construction, and the games they are playing, so if you are just here for the topics, go ahead and skip to minute 23. Ellen learns about King Making, Stephen humble brags about being good at Smash Brothers, and Dal…

1
Work Cultures (with Chris Bergman)

5M ago

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Most of our favorite games aren't created by solo devs; they're created by groups of people. And, when you get a bunch of people together in a group, culture happens. So, what makes for a good working culture in a game development team? How do you establish such a thing and maintain it? When we say someone doesn't "fit the culture" of a team, what …

1
.NET MAUI: Navigating the Cross-Platform Code Seas with Maddy Montaquila 59:32

5M ago59:32

59:32

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes Yeah, so .NET MAUI is the .NET stack, framework, whatever you want to call it, for writing one code base that run…

1
"Everything is everything." South by Southwest 2024; Player Friction

5M ago

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In this more games-adjacent episode, Mark recounts his experiences at the South by Southwest conference this year! Many fascinating discoveries to be found within that topic, in addition to Stephen's continued obsession with Dragon's Dogma 2 and Ellen's experience with the podcast as a listener. Stagg EKG Pro Electric Kettle - Fellow Stephen's used…

1
GameMaker (with Seth Fulkerson)

5M ago

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In this Episode Seth Fulkerson joins us in the clubhouse to talk the game engine, GameMaker. Seth is a long time user of GameMaker who's latest project is "Arzette: the Jewel of Faramore." The clubhouse discusses the history of GameMaker, the scripting language GML, and the advantages and disadvantages of the system. And Stephen learns a bunch of t…

1
Building Secure Software: Unveiling the Hidden Dependencies with Niels Tanis 1:15:18

5M ago1:15:18

1:15:18

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes And keep in mind that, not to bash OWASP and the top ten at all because I'm a big fan of OWASP, but people always…

1
Visual Worldbuilding (with Laura Onderwater)

5M ago

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We’re joined this week by Laura Onderwater, friend of the show! Laura is an experienced concept artist currently working with Greensky Games. In this interview, she shares a bit about her workflow and how she thinks about worldbuilding from an artistic perspective. Plus, your hosts learn when to cry into a pillow, and Stephen repeatedly asks for TH…

1
GDC 2024 Special (Part 3) (with Alyssa Walles and Audi Sorlie)

6M ago

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Your nice hosts conclude their GDC 2024 coverage with a pair of interviews they conducted at the show. Mark catches a post-show cold, Stephen gets over his, and Ellen thought everything sounded great. Midwest Games / Carbon Engine Midwest Games Midwest Games Chris Klimecky - LinkedIn Midwest Games - Work with us Carbon Engine Carbon Engine - Limite…

1
Code, Coffee, and Clever Debugging: Leslie Richardson's Microsoft Journey and the C# Dev Kit in Visual Studio Code with Leslie Richardson 59:34

6M ago59:34

59:34

Avalonia XPF This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by Avalonia XPF, a binary-compatible cross-platform fork of WPF, enables WPF apps to run on new platforms with minimal effort and maximum compatibility. Show Notes Yeah, so C# Dev Kit, it is a pretty new extension in VS Code. We just GA'd it back in early October. And it's an …

1
GDC 2024 Special (Part 2)

6M ago

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And now, the conclusion (sorta!), as tour nice hosts recount the back half of the week at this year's GDC. It's a long one, but there's somehow even more on our Patreon. GDC 2024 Special (Part 2) ReSpec: Accountability Support How Nintendo made Super Mario Bros. Wonder so weird Andrew Webster The Verge Jack Foley (sound effects artist) Wikipedia Th…

1
GDC 2024 Special (Part 1)

6M ago

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Some of your nice hosts, plus some nice guest hosts, traveled to San Fransisco last week for the 2024 Game Developers Conference. There was so much to see and do and it ended up being too much for just one episode... actually, it was too much for just two episodes! So, how much GDC 2024 content is there exactly? Well, plans changed and it's too com…

1
"Things just happen, somewhere." Partnering Up; Control Flow

6M ago

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It's our first roundtable of the year! And did you know that Minneapolis is "partnered up" with Saint Paul? Stephen's not sure what either of these topics have to do with game development, but don't worry—we get there. Ellen kicks off a conversation about how the people we work with have a huge influence on what we create, and the experience of cre…

1
From .NET to DuckDB: Unleashing the Database Evolution with Giorgi Dalakishvili 1:05:15

6M ago1:05:15

1:05:15

NService Bus This episode of The Modern .NET Show is supported, in part, by NServiceBus, the ultimate tool to build robust and reliable systems that can handle failures gracefully, maintain high availability, and scale to meet growing demand. Make sure you click the link in the show notes to learn more about NServiceBus. Show Notes Yeah. So what I …

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