Raymond Azam

What did you do before joining dBs?  

After finishing university, I went straight into working as a programmer in Java. In my spare time, I like to make personal projects using technology that interest me, from mobile VR to webcam-based body tracking.

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‍Why did you first get into game development? 

I have always loved games growing up, with my first experience coming from the Crash Bandicoot games on the first Playstation, when VR became a more mainstream market (Beat Saber in particular) I was inspired to do my own research and explore using different technology.

‍Any special areas of interest?  

I have a fixation on low-cost approaches to creating a VR setup. I strongly believe that the biggest obstacle for people playing VR games is the high entry price, and I would like to transform it into a more financially approachable area of gaming.

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What do you love most about what you do?

I enjoy being able to present ideas that are fascinating to me, for an audience that is equally interested in the topic. I hope to inspire people to explore niche areas of game development, and provide them with useful information for researching these areas.

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Tell us about your proudest career moment.

The largest audience I have had to present to was around 500 or so people, so I am comfortable sharing ideas and taking criticism.

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What do you get up to outside of teaching?

Outside of work, I have a variety of hobbies and interests. I love playing VR games like Beat Saber and Pavlov, and exploring the different creations that come out of the communities of games like these.

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Tell us something our students may not know about you.

I consistently achieve top 500 scores on the Beat Saber Expert+ Leaderboards.