Darren Smith

• Executive Product Manager with substantial experience designing, launching, and operating consumer-facing digital products. 
• Extensive experience developing and operating digital marketplaces with tens of millions of users including Nintendo eShop. 
• Deep game industry experience. Over 20 years with industry leaders and startups, including Nintendo.
• Strong mobile expertise, including developing and launching mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• Extensive technical expertise coupled with user experience insight and a strong global business perspective. 

Epik 

Mar 2021-Present

Vice President Product 

Vancouver, BC Canada

• Led a team of eight to develop, launch and operate EpikPrime.com, a marketplace for branded digital collectibles and NFTs.
• Balanced the needs of multiple internal teams to prioritize new feature development and updates to the marketplace.
• Led the development of Epik's Staking service, where holders of the EPIK token stake tokens to earn benefits, including discounts and early access to items in the EpikPrime marketplace. Over 100 million EPIK tokens have been staked. 
• Created APIs to enable metaverse and game clients to sell NFTs within their environments without the need to integrate web3 components or crypto wallets. Clients included Gameloft, Avakin Life, IGG, Pax.World, and XS Software. Millions of NFTs have been minted and redeemed by game and metaverse users through these APIs.
• Defined product roadmap for Epik's suite of B2B and B2C products, and created and prioritized user stories for the development team to execute on to deliver the features.

Ziva Dynamics 

Aug 2020 to Mar 2021

Vice President Product 

Vancouver, BC Canada

Led product management as a key member of the executive team developing software that enables game publishers to rapidly create and deploy film-quality real-time characters. Initiated efforts to productize world-class character creation software by leveraging the company's machine learning, biomechanics, and soft tissue physics simulation technologies. 

• Developed and maintained roadmaps for the company's emerging technologies and for its flagship product, Ziva VFX.
• Directed multiple product teams working on technologies across all phases of the product development lifecycle. 
• Worked with sales, marketing, and engineering to develop the vision, product strategy, and pricing.
• Productized Ziva RT, the company's real-time character technology that trains a machine learning model to learn shape deformations and plays them back in real time in Unreal Engine, Unity, and in custom game engines. The result can be applied to creating hyper-real faces, bodies, and avatars that can be rendered in real-time. Released version 1.0 to game studios, and incorporated into AAA games, including Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS5.

Epik 

Mar 2018 - Jul 2020

Vice President Product 

Seattle, WA

Provided technical leadership as a key member of the executive team, developing a blockchain-based digital licensing marketplace that connected brands to game publishers to create branded virtual goods sold in games as non-fungible tokens, and distributed royalties to the licensee and licensor in real-time when customers purchase the items.

• Led the development and launch of the Epik licensing platform with a Ukraine-based Agile team.
• Architected REST API for game publishers to interact with the platform, which enabled game players to purchase branded virtual goods using the EPIK cryptocurrency.
• Key participant in business development initiatives, identifying and connecting with potential partners, and pitching Epik's solution, adding over 200 game publishers and brands to our network of partners.
• Directed the design and development of iOS and Android demo applications with an India-based development team of 6, which contributed to the successful addition of the initial 30 game publishers and brands to our network. 

Independent Producer and Consultant 

Apr 2011 to Mar 2018

Seattle, WA

Oliver Henry Games                                 

Conceptualized, designed, and developed GridFL, a multiplayer football bingo game

• Developed app for iOS and Android platforms using Unity and C# for the client, and JavaScript, MongoDB, and Amazon’s GameSparks for the backend, integrating Firebase for notifications and deep links.
• Launched free-to-play app in App Store and Google Play, with integrated in-app purchases.
• Created a unique system to crowdsource football event data and verify bingo claims using player consensus. 

Slemma

• Transformed the business intelligence SaaS platform startup from a bottom-up, feature-driven development approach to a top-down approach driven by the product vision.
• Led an Agile product management team remotely located in Russia and Los Angeles.
• Effectively aligned executive leadership on the product vision, strategy and roadmap. 

Enterplay LLC, creator of Hasbro’s My Little Pony Collectible Card Game

• Created the first web-based CCG tournament management system, fulfilling the client's vision.
• Developed functional specifications, wireframes and prototypes for end-to-end user experience.
• Sourced and managed an 8-member India-based development team to develop the site and integrate tournament logic. 

Amperdex                                                                                                                                                       

• Created vision and developed a prototype for a new and engaging user experience designed to help users to discover new products through profile-based predictive analytics.
• Developed a recommendation engine powered by a unique collaborative filtering algorithm, based on Pearson correlation between graph network surfaces and nodes.
• Paired predictive engine with a novel game mechanic to elicit consumer preferences, using PHP, MySQL, and HBase.

Nintendo of America 

Dec 2000 to Apr 2011

Director            

Redmond, WA

Led North American product management of all online experiences on Nintendo platforms with a team of eight. Championed adoption of internet technologies in games and platforms, spurred development, and fostered the transition to digital distribution. Promoted to Director in July 2007. Contributed as an independent consultant December 2000 - August 2003.

Key Projects Developed at Nintendo of America:

Nintendo eShop: Nintendo’s online marketplace for digital games, applications, and add-on content

• Facilitated cross-departmental collaboration with a software development partner, IT, UI/UX, legal, finance, and marketing teams to develop and launch the store, starting Nintendo's transformation from physical game distribution into digital.
• Invented system for downloading games to Wii that were originally developed for other game platforms, enabling Nintendo to add more than 650 classic game titles to the catalog, which generated $120M in sales in the first year.
• Commissioned usability studies and evaluated results along with consumer feedback to develop designs and recommendations for improving the store. The changes resulted in a 20% increase in purchases.  
• Managed weekly content publishing schedule in the store over 4 years, releasing over 1000 games and add-on content. 

Netflix on Wii: Identified opportunity to increase the number of internet-connected Wiis by offering streaming video services. Gained buy-in from senior executives. Negotiated the deal with Netflix, bridged efforts of Netflix and Nintendo engineers, and managed test and launch. Result exceeded goals for internet connectivity, and led to a significant increase in digital sales in the eShop and in sales of Wii hardware itself. 

Facebook Feature on Nintendo DSi, Nintendo’s Mobile Platform: Identified opportunity to impact engagement and awareness of the Nintendo DSi through the ability to share photos taken with the system’s camera on Facebook. Developed specifications and wireframes for experience, and led Japan-based development team to implement and launch, which resulted in over 10 million photos posted to Facebook from the Nintendo DSi in the first year.

Nintendo WiFi Connection Multiplayer Gaming Service: Created vision for online services for Nintendo’s platforms.

• Championed the development of a multiplayer gaming service to support the WiFi feature of Nintendo’s mobile gaming platform. Evaluated build/buy scenarios, proposed solution to executives, and negotiated contract with third-party solution provider. Developed functional specifications, and bridged the efforts of internal and external development teams. Worked with marketing teams to develop messaging to launch the brand, and with third-party game developers to incorporate the technology, resulting in the integration of the service into over 200 games for the Nintendo DS platform.
• Developed vision and specifications for consumer website to provide customer support and promote the brand. 

McDonald’s / Wayport (AT&T) WiFi Connectivity: Before the mass-availability of free public WiFi, proposed making WiFi access free for the users of Nintendo’s mobile platform at retail locations. Solicited RFPs, evaluated technical feasibility of each, and negotiated an agreement with Wayport (now AT&T) to offer service at McDonald’s. Invented a means for background authentication and instant login at 10,000 locations. Results exceeded Nintendo’s goals for WiFi connectivity.  

Nintendo of America 

Aug 1990 to Mar 2000

Manager / Engineer                  

Redmond, WA

Nintendo 64: Product owner for North America, and key collaborator with development team in Japan.

• Bridged engineering efforts at Silicon Graphics with Nintendo in Japan, developer support, testing, PR, marketing, and senior executives in North America to launch the Nintendo 64 game console.
• Evaluated game software developers to assess capabilities and feasibility, and advised senior management on selection of licensee products to support.
• Collaborated with game development team in Japan to conceptualize and coordinate the development of Pilot Wings 64, a Nintendo 64 launch title, using a Texas-based development team, resulting in sales of over 1 million units.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania