Blender and Anthropic: Funding and Fallout

Google has given everyone until February 2027 to put their trader status on their apps and accounts in the Google Play Store. If you don't, you might be removed.Some thoughts in this episode.Support this Podcast, buy me a coffee ★ Support this podcast ★

Sharing a couple of games I have been playing along with an app update that shipped on iOS and iPad from me.Games in this episodeMoon SweepersVacuum WarriorWorld of Warcraft ClassicMe: PeterWitham.comMy Livestream: https://twitch.tv/compiledev ★ Support this podcast ★

It is very hard to avoid using some kind of 3rd party dependency these days, most often this takes the form of a repository somewhere. So do you have a plan for recovery/protection should something happen to it? What if it is beyond your control, there is always a plan B.Some suggestions in this episode to avoid the problem you didn't know you have.Support this Podcast by buying me a coffee ★ Support this podcast ★

Software development of any kind is in a difficult place right now. We all have those times we would love to say screw it and move on, but is that really the answer? Probably not, at least not right now. Some thoughts in this episode.Support my content by buying me just once coffee (or more) to help me survive my Podcasting career :)https://peterwitham.com/bmcContact mehttps://peterwitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★

Why Short Games Feel So Satisfying (for Players and Developers)In this episode of the UI Buzz podcast, host Peter Witham reflects on the satisfaction of short games compared to long-running open-world experiences like World of Warcraft. He explains how shorter games—often idle or progressive titles found on places like itch.io—can be completed in a few hours or days, letting players finish, enjoy, and move on.Peter argues these games also benefit developers by requiring less content, enabling clear end goals, and reducing the risk of projects never being finished, especially for solo creators.He connects this to why game jams work well due to tight time limits that prevent major scope creep. With attention harder to earn and keep, he believes short games can provide a more reliable win for both players and developers.00:00 UI Buzz Short Games00:21 Long vs. Short Games00:52 The Satisfaction of Short Games01:19 Idle & Progressive Games02:08 Developer Benefits03:19 Game Jams & Scope Creep05:33 Final ThoughtsContact Peterhttps://peterwitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★

Peter returns after a busy summer with a catch-up episode covering two main topics:Concept driven mini projects: Instead of building full games or apps, Peter has been creating small, focused projects to explore specific mechanics (like player tracking and object movement in idle/progressive games). These serve as both livestream content and a reusable reference library of techniques.ProjectHack.net goes into production: Peter's hacking-style idle game is now fully released and playable in-browser at ProjectHack.net/game. A major update with missions is coming soon. The game runs on any device via the web, with instant content updates.Support the show: Buy Peter a coffee at PeterWitham.com/BMCContact: PeterWitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of UIBuzz, I reflect on a busy month away, share the release of my game MooFO on Itch.io, and discuss my take on AI declaration of use in game development. Including why I think the "AI used" checkbox needs more granularity.I also open up about intentionally stepping back from side projects, the mental health benefits of that break, and why, honestly, evaluating your numbers matters more than artificial self-imposed pressure.Play MooFO on the web at https://peterwitham.com/moofo ★ Support this podcast ★

I sit down with my good buddy Leo G. Dion from the EmpowerApps show to discuss Apple's WWDC 26 developer conference. We cover the announcements and where we think this year will go for developers and users.Support this Podcast by buying me a coffee ★ Support this podcast ★

This week, I'm diving into the recent announcement that AI company Anthropic is financially supporting Blender, the beloved open-source 3D modeling tool. Anthropic pledged 240,000 euros as a corporate Patron member — but the community pushback was swift.Blender responded transparently, apologized to the community, and agreed to seek broader input going forward. The arrangement was also restructured from an ongoing membership to a one-time payment.My take? Nothing wrong happened here. Blender needs financial support to thrive, and a little community patience goes a long way.Buy me a Coffee and help this Podcast survivehttps://peterwitham.com/bmc ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, I dive into a fascinating challenge with my hacking game, Project Hack.A developer played it, wrote a script that instantly hacked all available server money, and exposed a major design problem I hadn't considered. Now I'm wrestling with how to reward skilled players without breaking the early game experience.Play the game now on early pre-release on itch.ioI'd love your feedback — https://pwitham.itch.io/projecthack/community ★ Support this podcast ★