Welcome
I am a game programmer who specializes in XR.
Projects
Realm of the Fallen
A Virtual Reality FPS game. I created this project along with the help of one 3D artist. The game has a unique aesthetic, and ten levels to explore. This project aims to capture the feel of retro shooters in a game designed specifically for VR. The early access version of the game is now available for purchase.
WraithRun
This was my "Hello, World!" game that I built to learn Unreal Engine 5. My objective was to utilize the graphical capabilities of Unreal Engine to create a simple game with beautiful visuals. The game will be available to download on Steam in late June 2024.
XR Mastermind
Not a software project. This is a community of XR developers that I cofounded and co-run. We meet weekly to hold each other accountable for project goals, answer technical questions, and discuss the latest in XR development.
Old Projects
Projects that I worked on prior to 2020, going back to when I was a kid.
About
My name is Amir Tavakoli (aka Virtual Destructor). I have been programming for most of my life. My interest in games began when my parents gave their friend a kitchen table in exchange for an NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). From that point on and throughout the remainder of my childhood I was obsessed with video games. A few years later we acquired a computer. It was a PC running DOS 5/Win 3.1, with a i486SX-33 CPU and 4 MB RAM (which later had to be upgraded to a whopping 8 MB to play Doom!). I quickly figured out how to use it as a gaming machine, and with the help of a friend learned how to use a local BBS to download more games.
I was always compelled to create things. At some point I began daydreaming about games I would want to create. Eventually I started learning C/C++ so I could write my own games. In retrospect, I believe that was the wrong approach. I should have used something like Klik & Play and designed games within the constraints. That would have been more fun and taken less time, but I wanted more control and did not want a watermark on my applications (not to mention that you had to buy most of them). I did try searching for game engines and did try a few. You can see one example of something I built with an old game engine in the “Old Projects” section of this site.
At some point I became capable enough to write games in C/C++ (I say C/C++ since the code was mostly C but I used C++ classes for some things). In DOS I mainly used the DJGPP compiler and the Allegro game library. I learned to write Windows games from books by André LaMothe, a popular author of game development books at the time.
Sadly, I started many games during this time and never finished them. Despite repeated failures I never learned how to properly scope projects. It took decades for me to learn that skill (I find it astonishing that it took me that long). I enrolled in University as a computer science major, but by that time I was playing video games less and figured that since I was already a programmer I would just become a non-game software engineer. I have long been interested in networking with others that share similar interests. This compelled me to become president of the computer science club at my university. During this time I had my first experience with VR as I was able to take a VR class that was offered by the university.
Despite my attempts to shift my focus away from games, the itch to make games never subsided. Sporadically I would work on projects that were not properly scoped (almost exclusively 3D games). I graduated and went to work as a software engineer.
When smartphones exploded around 2009 it renewed my interest in software development in general, especially games. I independently published two iPhone applications, a game called Crusher Ball and an application for musicians called PocketMC. From 2011 until 2014 I worked for Mitch Waite (a publisher of many early computer books, who I met through André LaMothe) as the sole developer on the iPhone app, iBird (during that period, it was consistently in the top 5 selling reference apps in the store).
Virtual Reality was always the holy grail of game development for me. When Oculus had a kickstarter in 2013, a friend sent me the link and I was initially dismissive saying that I was done with games and needed to move on. Once I saw the momentum the Oculus Rift was building, I broke down and dropped everything I was doing and decided to dedicate my career to VR. Since 2013 I have worked on several independent VR titles, and have had roles at several VR startups. I have worked as a programmer, a founder, and as an event organizer.
Currently I am taking my last shot at making a successful indie VR title. Regardless of the outcome, I intend on remaining in the XR space.
The name “Virtual Destructor” is a reference to a feature of the C++ programming language.
Résumé
My résumé is available to view on LinkedIn.