Epik Summary Recap with Shin Chan Community

We held a live AMA with VP Product of Epik, Darren Smith & COO of Epik, Gary Ma on 14th July 9:00 PM (UTC+8). Here’s the recap for those who missed it.

Introduction

Jack | ShinChan: Before AMA start, can you introduce yourselves and the team background?

Gary Ma: Hi I’m Gary, COO of Epik. I’m responsible for Epik’s daily workflow and operations. I have over 16+ years experience in technology sales and other operational roles across multiple industries.

Prior to Epik, I’ve worked with some of the biggest brands and celebrity artists, producing large scale Ultra Music style concerts across the world. And now at Epik, we work with the biggest brands and IP to create premium digital merch and collectibles.

Darren Smith: I’m Darren, VP of Product at Epik. I’ve been with the team since 2018. My background is in the video game industry. I worked at Nintendo for 20 years, bringing great products there to life as a Director there. I worked on development of game consoles such as the N64 and Wii, and all of the online services. (and a lot of other stuff!)

Jack | ShinChan: Today AMA will talk more about the different cross chain and cross platform compatibility of Epik building. Could you tell us more about it and do you have any news/update about Epik would like to share with us?

Darren Smith: Yes, I think we’ll cover a lot of that in the AMA today. Would be happy to share about some of the recent developments.

Gary Ma: For those that haven’t been following Epik Prime, we recently launched a pair of huge NFT integrations with major mainstream video games.

Epik Prime is building a global ecosystem connecting the biggest platforms from mainstream games to blockchain platforms.

In the process of doing so, we’re really focused on inclusion

And see that the future will involve cross chain, cross compatible interoperability

With bringing on such mass adoption as Epik is; we are already minting NFTs on other options outside of Ethereum. We have a good relationship with Huobi, and see lots of promise with HECO.

We just minted hundreds of thousands of NFT on HECO this past few weeks

AMA Twitter Section Begin:

Q1: At the moment the blockchain community is experiencing some uncertainty because of the price of Bitcoin Has this scenario affected in any way the plans that the Epik team has? Do you plan to make adjustments to your roadmap? Or are you determined to work as normal no matter what?

Gary Ma: No matter what!

We are not impacted by the cycles. We are a real business. We generate real revenue (tens of millions of dollars from in-game digital merch drops) and are already a profitable company.

We started this company in 2018. Survived through a major bear cycle and learned to thrive. There’s not many NFT companies that are still around since that time, I can count probably on one hand (i.e. Enjin, Wax, Opensea, Ecomi, etc). As you can see, those that stuck around, are all doing very well right now. Same with Epik Prime.

Behind the scenes, we built the largest enterprise blockchain ecosystem in the world; and are now the leading B2B NFT company working with the biggest platforms in the world from mainstream games to crypto platforms.

We’ve been doing NFT since before it was cool; and I’m certain we will be doing NFTs long after this initial hype is settled down.

Q2: You comment that Epik has helped top brands, game companies, record labels and various global industry leaders to strategize, launch and support their NFT digital collectibles Awesome! Would you be so kind to tell us some success stories in this regard?

Darren Smith: Yes, where do we start?! Epik has been doing in-game digital merch drops with the leading game companies for the past two years.

Our clients include the likes of giants like Tencent. We put Ultraman (#1 Japanese anime on Netflix) into Arena of Valor (#1 MOBA game in the world, by Tencent/Garena). In fact, this event is live right now!

Our next project with the Garena team is a crossover between Free Fire x Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike (DVLM) later this year. … yes, that means an Epik Prime NFT collaboration with the #1 mobile game in the world!

Also listen to this awesome track produced with the collaboration:

Also live right now is our NFT collaboration with Gameloft’s legendary game franchise Asphalt 9: Legends. This is HUGE. Epik Prime is the world’s FIRST and ONLY company to do multiple deals with Triple AAA games and launch NFTs with them.

Learn more here about the collaboration and NFT drop: https://t.me/EPIKPrimeANN/88

Q3: Can you tell us in the questions below..:

Is the concept of the Epikverse like a gateway to all metaverses..?
And does this mean that users, trades, and items can occur regardless of which metaverse you are in..?

Darren Smith: The Epikverse is a truly innovative and disruptive virtual world experience. The Epikverse are unique Epik worlds that perpetually exist on many metaverses (mainstream and crypto). It provides interconnectivity between a network of metaverses, acting as a bridge (a gateway) between them.

Within the Epikverse, users can buy/sell/trade all forms of digital merchandise and enjoy shared experiences (streaming, virtual concerts, etc). Epik will be the global leading digital merchandise and NFT provider and ecosystem.

We see ourselves becoming almost like gaming and digital platform infrastructure. Providing the rails cross chain, cross platform (crypto and non-crypto platforms).

This will make getting on and off chain, in and out of metaverses, and bridging web2 to web3 and back seamless for all types of user.

Epikverses will begin unveiling in 2021Q3, with anticipated 3 unique metaverse worlds going live during 2021.

Q4: I read one of the latest partnerships of Epik is Avakin Life, which will also have an in-game Solar Sounds Festival this July, can you tell us more about this Festival and what role will Epik Prime play in it? What innovative and premium items will you bring to the table here?

Gary Ma: We’re super proud and excited about this groundbreaking collaboration with Avakin Life, that marks just one more accomplishment for Epik Prime and a huge milestone for the entire NFT industry.

Avakin Life is a 3D virtual role-playing mobile video game with over 200 million registered players.

The Solar Sound Festival is a one-of-a-kind virtual world inside Avakin. All players have the chance to receive a free, limited edition, collectible digital artwork designed by a renowned crypto artist (https://www.instagram.com/thisset/) by visiting the Epik tent.

Players will be able to store the collectible on their Epik Prime accounts and immediately begin collecting the latest Digital collections on the Epik Prime Marketplace.Learn more here about the collaboration and NFT drop: https://t.me/EPIKPrimeANN/91

Q5: Could you explain a little more about the difference between Epik Prime and Prime +? What are the advantages of each of them, and what are the requirements to belong to this membership?

Darren Smith: Epik Prime is a loyalty reward membership program that grants access to better quality in-game and NFT items to its members and all Prime members have a chance to win random NFT prizes.

Anyone can qualify to become an Epik Prime member and customers can choose to purchase their Epik Prime membership directly from our website or they can do so on their own if they are familiar with linking and managing their own digital wallets.

Epik Prime+ gives members access to the most exclusive high quality items and premium services. They can also get previews on upcoming items and can pre-order and reserve items before they hit the public.

Telegram Live AMA Begin:

Q6: How can we trade NFTs on Epik?

Darren Smith: We will soon release a feature in our marketplace to allow you to do that.

Q7: Epik unlock enables digital worlds and enables premium sale of item and NFT. Also you have create token name with $EPIK. Can you describe what are the utility for $EPIK token? Does it also use for game currency?

Gary Ma: $EPIK is primarily a membership token. By staking $EPIK you unlock certain membe priviliges and rewards.

We also have a roadmap to incorporate further utilities with $EPIK, both in relation to NFTs and the Epikverse.

Epik will have the most user adoption in the world for any NFT project by the end of the year. And $EPIK members will definitely benefit.

Q8: 🦋 I think the most important function of Epik is to facilitate cross-collaboration between brands and games.

So, what kind of contributions does Epik make for brands and digital game platforms to come together and create synergies?

Gary Ma: Definitely! You’re absolutely right.

Epik facilitates unique crossover collaborations between brands and games. The result is unique content and digital merchandise that you can’t get anywhere else.

this is what Epik means when we say we only do premium digital merchandise.

We work with premium brands and original content only. We are not a creator economy. There are many many other places for that. There is only one Epik Prime.

Q9: 🔥 Talking about the premium content that Epik offers, could you tell me what functions the NFTs have within Epik? Is it possible to acquire them for free just by playing? Also, are these NFTs marketable or transferable?

Darren Smith: There are a number of ways you can acquire Epik NFTs. One is through playing games like Gameloft’s Asphalt 9: Legends and Avakin Life. There you can receive some premium NFTs in our platform. These items are also available for sale in our marketplace, along with other premium NFTs. Soon you will be able to trade these NFTs with other users in our marketplace.

Q10: 🌟I read that, EPIK’s NFT event during the Solar Sounds Festival will put a cap on how many users can own the entire collection of NFTs, making it even harder for most players, so, can you give me a hint of what exact amount of players would get to own the entire collection?

Gary Ma: Avakin Life has an amazing fanbase with millions of users.

Epik worked closely with Avakin to create a collection of NFTs that is meaningful for the community.

Some items definitely are scarce given the large demand.

Q11: I want to follow all the updates of your project. Can you please provide all official links of your social media, telegram, website because there are many scams and frauds going out there on company name. If possible provide contract address, litepaper, whitepaper too.

Gary Ma : https://t.me/EPIKPrimeANN

twitter.com/epikprime

Q12: One recent example reported on was the VR performance of artist duo Blasterjaxx on social VR platform Sansar. Next to an in-game concert, there was also the possibility for players to pick up exclusive virtual merch for their avatar, and there was a code for 10% off real life, unreleased Spinnin’ merch. What role did Epik and NFT technology play in making this event and the handling of this virtual merch etc. possible?

Gary Ma: Epik Prime facilitated this in-game live virtual concert.

Spinnin’ Records and Sansar are clients of Epik. Epik works with hundreds of games and brands.

Q13: To date Who are the top companies supporting you? and how will this collaboration benefit Epik Prime and its investors?

Gary Ma: Epik Prime is the world’s FIRST and ONLY company to do multiple deals with Triple AAA games and launch NFTs with them.

We already mentioned a few above… Asphalt 9, Free Fire, and many more to come

Q14: ✅ What is the focus of the Epik team at the moment? Are they investing more resources in partnerships, getting new clients or marketing strategies to make themselves known to investors? Can you give us details on this?

Gary Ma: Epik’s focus is to build more amazing products people love, create more beautiful NFTs and develop innovative experiences like Epikverse.

We’re a real company, not just some crypto project.

We’re here to shape the future of digital consumer products.

Q15: I read on the EpikPrime website that the Lockr application will soon launch, can you explain a little what the Lockr application looks like? What advantages and uses do gamers get from downloading the application? and when the estimate can be downloaded?

Darren Smith: I read on the EpikPrime website that the Lockr application will soon launch, can you explain a little what the Lockr application looks like? What advantages and uses do gamers get from downloading the application? and when the estimate can be downloaded?

Q16: I’ve been reading that EpiK is developing the idea of a metaverse called “EPIKVERSE”. Can you tell us a little bit about what is the purpose of this? Do you plan to create a place where only products released by you can be interconnected or do you plan to incorporate some others?

Gary Ma: copying from earlier response above:

The Epikverse is a truly innovative and disruptive virtual world experience. The Epikverse are unique Epik worlds that perpetually exist on many metaverses (mainstream and crypto). It provides interconnectivity between a network of metaverses, acting as a bridge (a gateway) between them.

Within the Epikverse, users can buy/sell/trade all forms of digital merchandise and enjoy shared experiences (streaming, virtual concerts, etc). Epik will be the global leading digital merchandise and NFT provider and ecosystem.

We see ourselves becoming almost like gaming and digital platform infrastructure. Providing the rails cross chain, cross platform (crypto and non-crypto platforms).

This will make getting on and off chain, in and out of metaverses, and bridging web2 to web3 and back seamless for all types of user.

Epikverses will begin unveiling in 2021Q3, with anticipated 3 unique metaverse worlds going live during 2021.

Q17: What are some of the major achievements that Your Project has achieved and what milestones are planned ahead in the next 6 months, 1 year and 5 years?

Darren Smith: Well…we just made history last week. We are the first NFT company to work with AAA game companies bringing NFTs and blockchain mainstream to MILLIONS of users across the world. Epik is opening the doors to grow the entire industry for everybody. All NFT projects.

Q18: How do you plan to spread awareness about your project in different countries where English is not spoken well

Gary Ma: good question.

Epik is a huge global network. We work with digital platforms in every language. This is one of the key differences between Epik Prime and other NFT platforms or marketplaces.

this allows Epik to touch people in every corner of the world.

Q19: ==== Considering that few gamers are crypto users. ====

🔘 How will you include players who are not yet acquainted with crypto in your platform so that you can reach a wide audience in the gaming industry and crypto industry?
Have you designed an incentive system for players?

Gary Ma: Good point.

Epik is bringing mainstream adoption to blockchain by working with mainstream brands (thus mainstream fanbase) as well as mainstream games (not just crypto).

By making NFTs and collectibles an integrated experience within the games itself, this is appealing to the players and is a great way to introduce them to crypto and NFTs.

On the Epik Prime marketplace (www.epikprime.com), users can purchase NFTs with crypto or credit card. easy.

Q20: ➡️ I read somewhere that Epik official team has a lot of experience working with many gaming companies, so can you give us a summary about you experience of this Field?

Darrren Smith: Our team’s game credits come from Pokemon, Tetris, and Nintendo. Personally, I worked at Nintendo for 20 years. I was a director there.

In 1990, I started as an engineer working on an online game service for the original 8-bit NES. Throughout my career there I worked on the development and launch of game consoles from the Nintendo 64 through the Wii and 3DS, as well as all of Nintendo’s online game services (multiplayer game service, Nintendo’s eShop, Netflix for Wii, Facebook for DSi, etc.). I also developed a game with Mr. Miyamoto (PilotWings 64), produced some products for Pokemon, and all of the pre-installed apps for the Wii.

I was very fortunate to work alongside many of the greatest minds in the videogame industry, not just Mr. Miyamoto, but also Mr. Iwata Mr. Takeda, all of the teams at EAD, Rare, and so many others.

Gary Ma: Darren is a legend in the gaming industry!

Epik is super fortunate to have people of his calibre breaking new ground in this emerging industry

Q21: What improvements do you notice after each successful AMA?

Gary Ma: AMAs are great opportunities for us to listen to communities outside of our regular groups/channels.

Your questions are extremely valuable for us to better understand what you’re most interested in which allows us to improve our products and services to better serve you.

We thank you for your time and interest in Epik Prime!

Q22: ✅Epik Prime has already partnered with huge companies like Tencent, capcom, garena and others. But most of your partners are not in the touch with blockchain field but in the field of play. Does Epik Prime have any Partners in the blockchain or crypto field? What does Epik Prime get from all those partnerships it has?

Gary Ma: ooooh…. just wait and see. 🙂

Many of the household crpto projects (especially NFT ones) work with Epik. They’re our clients.

Expect to see many exciting collaborations coming out soon 🙂

Epik is the leading B2B NFT company. we help and support everyone, including other NFT projects. THey’re not our competition, they’re our clients.

Q23: I’ve read that the Epik Marketplace is OFFICIALLY LIVE? So, it would be nice if you could share here some tutorial videos on how your MARKEPLACE works and to understand it more easily?

Darren Smith: Yes. Please visit EpikPrime.com. We’d love to have your feedback.

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