Clark Stacey
Clark Stacey | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 24, 1980 |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | 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, but continues to work with them as a board member.[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.
- ^ "WildWorks CEO Clark Stacey steps down after 21 years". Pocket Gamer.biz. 2024-01-09. Retrieved 2024-04-09.