John Carmack's talk at Upper Bound 2025 focused on the complexities of AGI development. He highlighted the immense challenge of bridging the gap between current AI capabilities and true general intelligence, emphasizing the need for new conceptual breakthroughs rather than just scaling existing models. Carmack expressed concern over the tendency to overestimate short-term progress while underestimating long-term challenges, advocating for a more realistic approach to AGI research. He also discussed potential risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.
John Carmack argues that the relentless push for new hardware is often unnecessary. He believes software optimization is a significantly undervalued practice and that with proper attention to efficiency, older hardware could easily handle most tasks. This focus on hardware upgrades creates a wasteful cycle of obsolescence, contributing to e-waste and forcing users into unnecessary expenses. He asserts that prioritizing performance optimization in software development would not only extend the lifespan of existing devices but also lead to a more sustainable and cost-effective tech ecosystem overall.
HN users largely agree with Carmack's sentiment that software bloat is a significant problem leading to unnecessary hardware upgrades. Several commenters point to specific examples of software becoming slower over time, citing web browsers, Electron apps, and the increasing reliance on JavaScript frameworks. Some suggest that the economics of software development, including planned obsolescence and the abundance of cheap hardware, disincentivize optimization. Others discuss the difficulty of optimization, highlighting the complexity of modern software and the trade-offs between performance, features, and development time. A few dissenting opinions argue that hardware advancements drive progress and enable new possibilities, making optimization a less critical concern. Overall, the discussion revolves around the balance between performance and progress, with many lamenting the lost art of efficient coding.
FastDoom achieves its speed primarily through optimizing data access patterns. The original Doom wastes cycles retrieving small pieces of data scattered throughout memory. FastDoom restructures data, grouping related elements together (like vertices for a single wall) for contiguous access. This significantly reduces cache misses, allowing the CPU to fetch the necessary information much faster. Further optimizations include precalculating commonly used values, eliminating redundant calculations, and streamlining inner loops, ultimately leading to a dramatic performance boost even on modern hardware.
The Hacker News comments discuss various technical aspects contributing to FastDoom's speed. Several users point to the simplicity of the original Doom rendering engine and its reliance on fixed-point arithmetic as key factors. Some highlight the minimal processing demands placed on the original hardware, comparing it favorably to the more complex graphics pipelines of modern games. Others delve into specific optimizations like precalculated lookup tables for trigonometry and the use of binary space partitioning (BSP) for efficient rendering. The small size of the game's assets and levels are also noted as contributing to its quick loading times and performance. One commenter mentions that Carmack's careful attention to performance, combined with his deep understanding of the hardware, resulted in a game that pushed the limits of what was possible at the time. Another user expresses appreciation for the clean and understandable nature of the original source code, making it a great learning resource for aspiring game developers.
Summary of Comments ( 221 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44070042
HN users discuss John Carmack's 2012 talk on "Independent Game Development." Several commenters reminisce about Carmack's influence and clear communication style. Some highlight his emphasis on optimization and low-level programming as key to achieving performance, particularly in resource-constrained environments like mobile at the time. Others note his advocacy for smaller, focused teams and "lean methodologies," contrasting it with the bloat they perceive in modern game development. A few commenters mention specific technical insights they gleaned from Carmack's talks or express disappointment that similar direct, technical presentations are less common today. One user questions whether Carmack's approach is still relevant given advancements in hardware and tools, sparking a debate about the enduring value of optimization and the trade-offs between performance and developer time.
The Hacker News post titled "John Carmack talk at Upper Bound 2025" links to a tweet announcing John Carmack's upcoming talk. The discussion on Hacker News is brief, consisting of only three comments, so a detailed analysis of compelling arguments isn't possible.
The first comment humorously points out the futuristic date of 2025 (the tweet was from 2012, predicting a 2025 talk) and how Carmack's predictions often involve extended timelines. It also jokes about how the date aligns with potential advancements in rocketry, a field Carmack is involved in.
The second comment simply expresses excitement and anticipation for the talk.
The third comment observes that the linked tweet was from 2012, making it old news. It notes that Carmack did end up speaking at the 2025 Game Developers Conference, subtly correcting the initial interpretation of the linked tweet, and shares a link to that later talk's video. This comment effectively closes the loop on the somewhat misleading title of the Hacker News post.