Hello, Satoshi clubbers! Another AMA took place in Satoshi Club and we would like to introduce to you the AMA session with our friends from EpikGG and our guest was @AgentDarren and @theGamma – COO of Epik.. The AMA took place on 13th May.
The total reward pool was 500$ and has been split into 3 parts.
In this AMA Recap, we will try to summarise the most interesting points for you.
Part 1 — introduction and questions from the Website
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Hello Satoshi Club! We are happy to announce our AMA session with EpicGG!
Welcome to Satoshi Club😀
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Today’s guests are @AgentDarren @theGamma ! Welcome! Great to have you here!
Gary M:
Hi everyone! great to be here.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Welcome to Satoshi Club! How’s going?😉
Darren Smith:
Hello! Thanks for having us.
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
The pleasure is all ours! 🥳
Gary M:
Going fantastic. and you?
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Hello, Darren!
I am fine as well!
So, if we all are here let’s start 🚀
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Please tell su more about your background. Also, how did you get into crypto?
What are the essence & foundation principles behind EpikGG?
Gary M:
Sure!
Gary M:
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.
I actually got into crypto starting baack in 2013. so really watched it evolve to where it is now
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Wow, you’re veteran!
Gary M:
Despite the Elon situation lately, lol. I believe blockchain is transitioning to mainstream adoption. And that’s what EPIK Prime is about…. going mass adoption.
It’s been a roller coaster.
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
I have to admit, just by scrolling down the website you can see the whole Epik team boasts an amazing roster of professionals in various fields, especially in the gaming, marketing, and licensing industry…
You probably have so many creative juices flowing every day lol🚀
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Yes, Elon’s situation is… 🤦
So, you’re with EpikGG from the very beginning?
Gary M:
Yeah.. we are super blessed with an amazing team of talented professionals.
Yes, we founded the company around early 2018.
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 over.
To give you an idea about our expertise and commitment to the space; our CEO, who’s a computer programmer and following blockchain for many years, flew down to Dallas for the final ERC-721 code review. That’s when the standard was passed. Also, Will Entriken, the lead author of 721 is on Epik team. So, we’ve been involved with NFTs pretty much since their origins.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
I like such kind of a projects, you follow your idea, not hype
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Amazing pedigree 😉
Mary | Satoshi Club:
I can only applaud to you👏👏👏
Darren Smith:
I’m Darren Smith: VP of Product here at Epik. I’ve been in the video game industry for all of my careers. I was at Nintendo for 20 years doing product development. I was a director there and worked on many great products from the N64 through the Wii and 3DS.
As an engineer, I had my eye on blockchain since early on, but had my own things going in games and didn’t get into it until I met the guys from Epik back when we first got started in 2018.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
You have really awesome start! Lucky man! 😉
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
Your business cards are a great introduction for today’s AMA! Thank you, guys!
Would you like to add something?
Or shall we proceed to the questions from the community?🚀
Gary M:
No, ready to continue 🙂
Q1 from Telegram User @pixma00
The Epikverse consists of our network of games, virtual reality spaces, and metaverses that can communicate with each other. This groundbreaking innovation will open up interconnectivity between all players of all games, and the best part is that eventually, you will never have to leave your favorite games because Epikverse will be everywhere you decide to play. What is Epik? What are the characteristics of this platform? How have they managed to add more than 250 game companies? How many average players benefit daily?
Gary M:
Epik is an NFT platform working with AAA gaming platforms and giant
entertainment IP brands to create in-game NFT goods and marketplace.
We work with over 360 clients including half of the top 25 video game companies such as Tencent and Garena and global brands like Warner and Universal.
We specialize in unique NFT drops with many coming out this year from some of the biggest names.
Epik is different because we are both an NFT technical platform and the world’s leading digital agency that has already been producing in-game drops worth millions of dollars for the last 3 years.
Therefore, Epik solves the problem of content creation with our network of games, brands, celebs, artists, and influencers – creating unique, one-of-a-kind, and valuable content becomes simple with our massive network and experience.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Did you already have some drops?
Gary M:
Our drops up to date have primarily been in-game drops with virtual goods.
To give you an example of a one not long ago, we put
Ultraman (the #1 anime on netflix), into Arena of Valor (the #1 MOBA game in
the world, a Tencent game)
This included playable characters, etc. from the crossover
We are now expanding upon that and working with our game company clients to enable them to incorporate NFT and collectible items in with the merch drops.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Wow, that’s cool! When i am playing my old games on the phone i always imagine that i can have NFTs from them😂
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
I have to admit I followed Ultraman’s Epik “transposition” on Tencent’s Arena of Valor.
…and as an anime fan I honestly thought: “Wow, this Is TRULY EPIC!” lol 😁
I think also many movie series/sagas taught us about the value of crossovers, especially for fans
(Marvel pops into my mind naturally)
Gary M:
exactly! we help our game clients expand their product line within their games to carry a wider variety of merch.
NFTs!
Not only can you own a beautiful digital collectible.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
And this is real mass adoption 😉
Gary M:
By owning it, you will experience or receive in-game benefits and utility.
Tons of potential.
That’s the power of IP, and crossover.
Darren Smith:
Our goal is mass adoption. That’s why we are working with game companies with
100s of millions of users.
Gary M:
It combines the fan base from different markets and brings them together in a unique way that is meaningful to both audiences.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Thank you for everything you’re doing! That’s what we need here!
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
Behemoth proportions 🔥
Darren Smith:
You’re welcome, Mary!
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
So exciting guys! And we need to know more!
So, ready for the next question? 😉
Darren Smith:
Ready.
Q2 from Telegram User @michelth
Epik works closely with top brands, game companies, record labels, and various global industry leaders to strategize, launch and support their NFT digital collectibles initiatives. Epik works with the top 20 video game companies like Tencent and Garena, and with global brands like Warner and Universal. What benefits are obtained through these associations? Can you tell us what the progress has been since its inception until now?
Darren Smith:
In the past 3 years, we survived crypto winter, and slowly built our client
base from 1 client, to 5, to 10, to 50, to 100, to now over 300.
They say Rome wasn’t built in a day.
That is certainly true for Epik.
So, we are not some new company coming out of nowhere just because NFTs are suddenly popular 🙂
Our CEO was at the ERC721 code review for the final pass
Mary | Satoshi Club:
And i want to tell that you started at right time and now you’re here in time with great partnerships and products😉
Gary M:
Epik items are official name-brand licensed NFT merchandise. Epik items are produced from collaborations between brands and digital platforms and they are specifically designed to deliver you brand new immersive experiences.
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
So true 😉
Besides, I believe we are still in the phase where people are yet to realize the true potential of NFTs – which I think are still considered by most just “pieces of art that are sold by artists”, sometimes for huge sums – that’s what has been hitting the headlines so far.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Can you tell us drops from which brands we will have soon?😉
We are the best community to keep secrets!😂
Gary M:
You are absolutely right.
We are only just scratching the surface of the potential for NFTs
Digital art is amazing.
And it’s an easy use case to understand.
Because it’s a single item. unique items. and people can understand collexting and own.
Just like real art.
There is so much more.
Which is where EPIK Prime is leading the way for.
Creating unique pieces, tied to real value or exclusive experience.
As mentioned above, those could be tied to utility in digital worlds.
Or even to real life.
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer, which is also a great segue
for the next community question, I believe 😉
Are you ready?
Gary M:
Let’s go!
Q3 from Telegram User @Arisabela
I was present in a previous AMA and you gave an example of your NFTs utility like buying a Lady Gaga NFT and with it the owner gets VIP tickets to her concert tour, you said you’ll have to make that a prize for next AMA session, are we there already? I know maybe this is all hypothetical but it’s fun to think of these examples, how are you going to create a real connection with big artists and influencers?
Gary M:
hahaha…. @Arisabela is a genius
I wish we can be like Oprah right now. Lady Gaga tickets for everyone!!
🤣
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Yeap, she definitely is 😂
Gary M:
However, she is on the right track.
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
We couldn’t hop onto this chance, could we? 😉
Gary M:
We mention these things, because they are not purely hypothetical..
These are the things you will see coming from EPIK Prime.
Regarding to celebrities and musicians etc…. we work with all the bigggest record labels.
Warner, sony, Universal, spinnin records… etc.
Not only is EPIK Prime a blockchain technology company.
We are also a leading digital licensing agency.
This means we have access to 1000’s of brands.
We work WITH brands and IP owners, bringing their IP and content into more digital environments.
Like the ultraman crossover example above.
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
KORN’s grand opening on the Battle Concert Arena event 😉
Gary M:
That was so awesome…
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
I am a KORN’s fan as well, so I can relate too easily lol
Gary M:
Digital mosh pit!
Yeah that’s a great example of how working with our brand partners, we can create truly unique and original content that is meaningful.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
When we will be able hipothetical to buy such kind of NFTs?😀
Gary M:
Take the KORN virtual concert event that we produced there in collaboration with Advenrture Quest game.
KORN was actually touring on the road, in real life at that time.
So while they were tuoring, we produced that virtual concert event.
Their message to fans was: Hey, come to our show on tour. but if you can’t make it, join us in our virtual concert series.. produced by EPIK.
We have in-game NFT drops happening with AAA game companies this year.
Gary M:
🙂
Mary | Satoshi Club:
I am definitely will follow this drops! Btw, which requirements do you have to join them?
Gary M:
hehe… buy $EPIK, and become an EPIK Prime member
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Wait, next question is just about Epik and Epik Prime membership 😉
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Yes🚀
Gary M:
EPIK Prime members get first dibs and access to more exclusive drops and
auctions etc.
Q4 from Telegram User @KeymerS
Could you tell us a little more about the difference between Epik Prime and Prime+? What benefits does each one really provide? And what are the requirements to be able to belong to that membership?
Gary M:
Epik plans to automatically enrol its customers into Epik Prime as their
digital item purchases accrue. Customers who meet the minimum spending
thresholds will receive Tokens, and therefore qualify for a membership in Epik
Prime. Members of Epik Prime will have access exclusive items, discounts and
services that would otherwise be unavailable, or available at an additional
cost, to a user who is not a member of Epik Prime. Members who hold more Tokens
will have the right to enjoy higher level of priviliges.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
How much tokens we should hold?
Gary M:
The levels required will be published and will be adjusted from time to time,
taking into acccount the price value of $EPIK
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
By the way, it just happens that a little bird told me about an upcoming $EPIK
DaoMaker launch?
Provided that it’s not classified information, is that true and can we expect you launching $EPIK on various other launchpads?
🙃😁
Gary M:
Which bird was that?!
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
Haha we at Satoshi Club are very caring of our top secret birds.
Gary M:
We’re going to have to speak to those birds about their NDA.
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
😂
Gary M:
🤣
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Thank you @theGamma for your clear answers! 😁
Gary M:
Yes…. please visit www.daomaker.com
Information will be announced about an upcoming $EPIK launch.
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Amazing! Thank you!
Ready to hop onto the next question? 🚀
Darren Smith:
Let’s go!
Gary M:
As long as it’s okay with your birdies
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Hahaha
Here we go 😁
Q5 from Telegram User @ngohuynh
That is really cool to see the length of history in your utilization of ethereum for NFT. Can you point us to this smart contract for review? So if I understand correctly technically Epik is Launching official NFT blockchain collectibles in games of clients using Ethereum. As Ethereum requires gas fees and on/off-chain communications with the client games these need to be managed. How is this done exactly?
Darren Smith:
We started working with Ethereum our beginnings in 2018. I’ve been an engineer
for more than 20 years, and understand how to build and scale massive products.
We are implementing a series of hybrid solutions to create the best possible
user experience, and minimize fees. We want this product to be mass-market.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Layer 2 solutions? Also, did you ever think about launch on another blockchain?
Gary M:
Also, because EPIK Prime works with our clients, and we are all trusted
entities with each other, we can implement solutions to reduce the challenges
others would face in regards to confirmation times, fees, etc
Darren Smith:
When the NFT lives within our platform, gas fees are not applicable.
Only when items leave, will the user (sender) incur the gas fee
when I say ‘our platform’ this doesn’t just mean Epik’s own marketplace etc. It
also includes our client network (game company’s, digital platform).
Epik is a network of marketplaces, is a good way to visualize what we are and
the scale we are.
Gary M:
Yes, there is continual evolution in the technology. we’re evaluating many different solutions all the time, to give our users the best possible experiences
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Great, crystal clear guys! 💎
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Ok, we will wait for the updates regarding this, sure, you will find the best solution
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Last question for this very first part of the AMA.
Are you ready to go? 😉
Gary M:
Fire away.
Q6 from Telegram User @lzamg
Going through your website, I noticed that you have accomplished lots of great things, like the cross-over collaborations or the concerts during the pandemic situation. So I would like to know what is the next step? Epik is a really big project right now, so what are your plans to take it to the next level?
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
@lzamg already acknowledges the great milestones and accomplishments you’ve
managed to achieve so far 😉
Mary | Satoshi Club:
We want more news from birds😂
Gary M:
Haha…
Darren Smith:
Lots of good stuff coming up. Expect some more drops, more collaborations, more
ultra-unique NFTs that give users value and utility beyond just the visual
asset.
Gary M:
We also have many many more partnerships and collaborations; that could be with
your favorite mainstream game, or other crypto metaverses and platforms you are
already familiar with
Epik is a B2B company, and we work with everyone.
It’s through this collaborative approach that we are able to create ultra-unique content.
Mary | Satoshi Club:
Oh, we are familiar with some platforms and will be waiting for this news!
Gary M:
and also make them accessible to users and fans in all different kinds of
ecosystems
Paul Mont | Satoshi Club:
By the way, any relevant business/company can apply for a partnership? Is there an evaluation process on your end and, if so, what kind of?
Mary | Satoshi Club:
I see you prepared a lot of things to keep you community excited during all
bull market 😂
Gary M:
Yes, we’d love to hear from the community and the blockchain industry
If there’s anything we can to do help support and grow this industry together, we’re super interested.
Yeah, i mean it’s important to consider that we are not an overnight company.
We have been building a robust global network of businesses for the past 3 years.
So much of the work we put in will be starting to come to market this year and beyond
Paul Mont | Satoshi
Club:
Amazing, thank you very much for your answers guys 🔥🔥🔥
Darren Smith:
Our pleasure!
Part 2 — live questions from the Telegram community
Q1 from Telegram user @ngonguyenkhang
It seems like the bread and butter of Epik lies with it’s facilitation of crossover collaborations between brands and games. What exactly does Epik do for brands and digital platforms (games) to help them find each other and collaborate successfully?
Darren Smith:
Epik items are official name-brand licensed NFT merchandise. Epik items are produced from collaborations between brands and digital platforms and they are specifically designed to deliver you brand new immersive experiences.
It can be very difficult to navigate the world of licensing, and find the appropriate people to talk to etc.
That’s where Epik comes in, with our relationships and client network.
For example, one of our clients is Tencent.
Does Tencent have their own BD team, that can source and procure IP content? They have a huge team, but they still come to Epik.
We can still help, support the objectives and needs they have
for IP.
Q2 from Telegram user @Arisabela
Your project was recently reviewed on a cryptocurrency website as the leading B2B NFT platform, currently you are working with many companies but not all of them are related to cryptos, it would be interesting if you tell us more about your non-crypto partners and their contributions to your platform.
Gary M:
You’re absolutely correct. EPIK Prime works with crypto companies/platforms and mainstream games, AR/VR, metaverses etc.
The majority of our clients are actually non-crypto. That’s where the mass users are. Some of our Mainstream games clients have 100s millions of DAU. this is how EPIK Prime brings mass adoption.
And by working with these mainstream platforms, and bringing NFT and blockchain assets to their user base, we bridge the crypto and non-crypto alike.
Q3 from Telegram user @highpee
You talk about different membership level of Epik users. Do user acquire member status automatically or are there subscription cost which users must pay either monthly, quarterly or yearly membership to activate a membership status?
Darren Smith:
Your membership level will be based on your Epik tokens. The more you have, the higher your level, and the greater benefits you’ll get.
Q4 from Telegram user @vedamatrix
Where can I buy NFT’s belong to the Epik and where can I trade them?
Gary M:
We’re launching our own marketplace very soon. You can get Epik NFT items here. www epikprime dot com.
Additionally, many of our NFT items will also be available in other marketplaces and stores.
what i mean by that is…. Epik is a network of marketplaces. Each game and digital platform is essentially its own marketplace. Through our collaborations…. NFTs will be made and dropped here as welll
Q5 from Telegram user @cindy_crypto
Is it possible you to work with Elon Musk and create NFT’s special for Elon?
Gary M:
That would be absolutely amazing wouldn’t it? We should all launch a Twitter campaign together to make it happen!
Elon Musk x Epik Prime-exclusive NFT.
Q6 from Telegram user @cryptofollower
There is a meme competition ongoing as I see on your twitter page so what are the details and how can we join to it?
Gary M:
Thank you for asking! Yes, please follow @epikprime telegram channel, and join the contest.
#EPIKMEMES
We look forward to seeing some amazing creative submissions. Good Luck!
Q7 from Telegram user @mucana
Which wallets will EpikGG support? Can you explain his list?
Gary M:
$EPIK is an ERC-20 token. Any compatible wallet will work.
Q8 from Telegram user @testercoin
Hi @AgentDarren Why did you quit your job at Nintendo after 20 years and join the crypto world?
Darren Smith:
I left Nintendo because I had achieved the vision for online games that I had when I started in 1990, which was to enable multiplayer gaming, downloadable games, and eCommerce. I was able to help bring all of those to life and added a streaming video (unheard of in 1990) and social media integration.
When I saw what was possible with NFTs and games, I had to jump in. It was an extension of the vision I originally had, and I was fortunate to be introduced to Epik’s visionary CEO. It was a perfect match.
Q9 from Telegram user @smelekin
Hello @theGamma are you holding any bitcoins where you bought back in 2013?
Gary M:
Hahah…. 🙄
Q10 from Telegram user @tatarrama
Not all gamers are crypto users. What incentives will you have to attract players who are not familiar with crypto to grow further in the gaming industry and the ktipto industry? How will you reach all the players?
Gary M:
You’re exactly right. Although all of us here in this group are very familiar with crypto (compared to the average person). The mainstream is still very non-crypto.
Epik hopes to lower that friction for entry.
Part 3 – Quiz Results
In the final part, we tested your knowledge in terms of EpikGG. They’ve prepared 4 questions for this part. The total reward pool for the quiz was 300$.
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