Clark Stacey
Clark Stacey | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 24, 1980 |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Former CEO of WildWorks |
| Notable work | Animal Jam, Tunnel Town, Fer.al, |
| Website | https://clarkstacey.com/ |
Clark Stacey is the co-founder[1] and former chief executive officer of WildWorks[2][3][4] (earlier known as Smart Bomb Interactive),[5] which in 2010 launched the National Geographic Animal Jam, a massively multiplayer online virtual world, in partnership with the National Geographic Society.[6][7][8] The game has around 75 million registered players,[9][10] and is one of the fastest-growing online children's properties worldwide, targeted at the 9–11 years age group.[11][12]
Early life and Education
[edit]Stacey was born and raised in Ogden, Utah.[5] He graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in English literature and philosophy.[13]
Career
[edit]In 1992, in consequence of his long-standing interest in the field, Stacey teamed up with Kris Johnson again and co-founded Smart Bomb Interactive, which specialized as a game development studio and earned revenues through a licensing model. During these years, video games exemplifying explosions and destruction became the leitmotifs of Stacey's video game productions.[5]
Stacey and Johnson subsequently rechristened the company as WildWorks.[3] Based out of Salt Lake City and employing around 130 video game developers as of 2016,[12] Stacey and Johnson went on to develop highly followed games like Animal Jam Classic, Snoopy Flying Ace, Tunnel Town, Fer.al, and others.[3] In August 2022, Wildworks was acquired by Nazara Technologies.[14]
Around January 2024, Stacey stepped down from the CEO position at WildWorks, and then stepped down from his board member position around July 2024.
Following Stacey's leave from WildWorks in July 2024 he became the CEO of ANIMACCORD DTC in charge of a Masha and the Bear interactive universe dubbed MASHAVERSE.[15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Young Explorers Experience Ultimate Online Playground With National Geographic Animal Jam – National Geographic Partners Press Room". Press.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "Clark Stacey's Page - Innovation Insights". Insights.wired.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Clark Stacey – FamilyTech". Familytechsummit.com. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "Always Listen to User Feedback, Even When it's From Kids". tech.co. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Clark Stacey, President and CEO, Smart Bomb Interactive". Engage2012.engagedigital.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "Utah's Digital Entertainment Industry Levels Up". Utah Business. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "To Teach STEM Effectively, Make It Fun (VIDEO)". Tech.co. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "Smart Bomb's National Geographic Animal Jam® Nominated in 17th Annual Webby Awards – National Geographic Partners Press Room". Press.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "Kidscreen » Archive » Virtually gone? Think again". Kidscreen.com. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Crawley, Dan (March 2015). "Animal Jam teams with Free the Children to encourage global citizenship in kids". VentureBeat.
- ^ Huffpost. "Four Ways Online Games can Prevent Cyberbullying". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b "Interview with WildWorks CEO Clark Stacey, creator of 'Animal Jam'". Us.blastingnews.com. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ "The Dos and Don'ts of Making Your Own Studio - Utah Games". games.utah.edu. 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Nazara Technologies acquires US-based gaming firm WildWorks". Business Today. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "ANIMACCORD DTC Announces CEO Hire". Accesswire. July 26, 2024. Archived from the original on 31 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.