Aaron Pulkka

aaron@pulkka.com
+1-951-878-5552

Summary

• Solid academic and real-world grounding: Master’s degree in Computer Science and over 15 years of international game development experience.
• Especially adept at cultivating communication between teams and rapidly adapting to change – strong leadership, problem solving, communication and project management skills.

Experience

• Leading team of producers working with brand managers on production of many cross-platform console games (X360, PS3, Wii, DS, iPhone) based on licensed IP. Developing games in a wide variety of genres with licensors including ABC, Boeing, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, FELD (Monster Jam), FOX, Mattel, MTV, NASA, NASCAR, and Nickelodeon.
• Participating in slate planning, evaluating potential development partners, and managing P&L roll-up of projects to ensure franchises maintain creative, technical and budget objectives established through Green Light process.
• Achieved aggressive quality, scheduling and profitability goals which helped position the Minneapolis division to become headquarters for Activision's entire Licensed Business in 2010.

• Directed outsourcing (domestic and offshore) of game production services for Vivendi’s game studios worldwide (Vivendi Games merged into Activision Blizzard in July 2008).
• Facilitated the initiation and management of production outsourcing services for many next-generation game titles (X360, PS3, Wii) including:
• Ghostbusters, Prototype, Bourne Conspiracy, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, World in Conflict, Timeshift, Empire Earth 3, WET, Crash, Spyro and other unannounced titles.

• Co-founded the External Development Group (XDG) to establish efficient pipeline between internal THQ studios and external outsourcing resources worldwide (including China, India, Europe and Australia).
• Evaluated and engaged the services of outsourcing vendors, to allow core teams to focus on delivering innovative game play for multiple next-generation games (X360, PS3, Wii).

• Provided technology and design consultation for digital entertainment projects, including theme parks, museums, malls, arcades, and other location-based entertainment venues.  

• Consulted as Director of Development for game outsourcing startup (VYK), establishing distributed production pipeline and successfully delivering assets for multiple console game titles (XBOX, PS2, Gamecube).  Managed overseas art production for clients in USA.

• Managed team of artists and engineers to productize HyperBowl attraction, originally developed specifically for SONY’s METREON, for the home and arcade markets (sold over 1 million copies).
• Hyper Entertainment spun-off from Sony in 2000 through a management buy-out.

• Directed game development of 3 games for grand opening of SONY’s MEDIAGE in Tokyo, Japan.

• Developed motion-simulator game for grand opening of SONY’s METREON in San Francisco.

• Massively Multiplayer Online Games Project (foundation for PC MMO game: ToonTown Online)

• Completed two launch titles on SGIs for the DisneyQuest location-based entertainment center:
• Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride (Multiplayer VR Arcade Game)
• Hercules in the Underworld (CAVE-based Arcade Game)

1993-1995    Human Interface Technology Lab    Seattle, WA
Research Associate

• GreenSpace (Trans-Pacific Networked, Immersive Game Demonstration @ NICOGRAPH Japan)

• Co-moderated Usenet newsgroup sci.virtual-worlds (Virtual Reality research discussion forum)

Community

• GDC Europe 2010 Speaker (August, 2010) Cologne, Germany
• ChinaJoy CGOC Speaker (August, 2010) Shanghai, China
• E3 Canadian Consulate Event Speaker (June, 2010) Los Angeles, USA
• GDC China Chengdu Event (ChinaSoft) Speaker (April, 2010) Chengdu, China
• GDC China Speaker (December, 2009) Shanghai, China
• Game Developers Conference (GDC09) Speaker (March, 2009) San Francisco, USA
• Game Developers Conference (GDC08) Speaker (February, 2008) San Francisco, USA
• IGDA Leadership Forum Speaker (November, 2007) San Francisco, USA
• GDC China Speaker (August, 2007) Shanghai, China
• GamePlaces International Keynote Speaker (July, 2007) Frankfurt, Germany
• IGF Judge (2003-Present), Annual Independent Games Festival
• Member of International Game Developers Association (IGDA), Project Management Institute (PMI), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and Media Entertainment Technology Alliance (METal)

Education

• Emphasis on Human-Computer Interaction and Networked Virtual Reality
• Completed thesis on Large-Scale Multi-user Virtual Environments (MMO)
• Treasurer, UW Chapter of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)

• Graduated Cum Laude, with emphasis on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
• Vice President, UW Chapter of Eta Kappa Nu (Electrical Engineering honor society)

Printer-friendly version available here: http://aaron.pulkka.com/resume/AKP-Resume2010g.pdf