Monday, February 10, 2025
HomeStartupsHike Seems To Marry Social & Gaming In Digital Hangout House HikeLand

Hike Seems To Marry Social & Gaming In Digital Hangout House HikeLand

[ad_1]

Indian unicorn Hike has introduced its mobile-first digital world HikeLand out of early preview

HikeLand offers customers with an area for “virtual hang-outs”, the place one can sit with pals, watch content material, chat, each with pals and like-minded people

HikeLand’s newest upgrades embrace a full-body digital avatar referred to as HikeMoji and in-game Ludo

Hike, the New Delhi-headquartered unicorn which got here to prominence for growing a P2P messaging platform again in 2012, has introduced its newest providing, a mobile-first digital world named HikeLand out of early preview. 

The corporate’s founder Kavin Bharti Mittal has claimed that HikeLand, launched in June this 12 months, witnessed vital traction throughout its testing section, whereby chosen customers have been spending a mean of 50 minutes contained in the digital world. Nevertheless, Mittal hasn’t disclosed additional knowledge to element the product’s efficiency. 

HikeLand is a function constructed on high of the corporate’s sticker chat app. It offers customers with an area for “virtual hang-outs”, the place one can sit with their pals, watch content material collectively, chat, each with pals and like-minded people not identified to them. Among the many current additions to the product are ad-free Ludo and a full-body digital avatar referred to as HikeMoji for every person. 

Hike, which as soon as harboured ambitions of growing a ‘super app’, determined, round 2016 with the introducing of 4G cellular networks, to pivot the corporate’s enterprise to ‘social’ and ‘gaming’, two pillars that type the core of Hike’s product philosophy as we speak and have discovered expression in HikeLand, a digital house for social interplay with gaming choices for its customers in tow. 

“It became clear to us that one big social network is not going to win over time. It’s going to be these vertical communities that have 50-100 Mn users each that can monetise pretty well. We looked at this and realised that the ‘super app’ metaphor is not going to work,” Mittal advised Inc42

Unbundling The Hike Tremendous App

“We have to unbundle the super app into multiple products which can stand on their own two feet.”

Whereas Mittal has claimed that the corporate will not be trying to chase the ‘super app metaphor’, the truth that HikeLand has been added to the corporate’s current sticker chat app listed on the Play Retailer, suggests in any other case. The Hike app is called, “HikeLand – Ludo, Video, Chat, Sticker, Messaging”. Though, the current app has been dialled down by way of the options it affords. In 2014, the Hike Messenger app provided options akin to dwell sports activities scores, information, day by day video games, a social media feed or timeline, and integrations for purchasing, recharge and ticketing with Hike Pockets. All of this was packed right into a single software. As of final 12 months, the corporate claimed to have 160 Mn customers.

Mittal added that HikeLand was constructed for the current period of virtually limitless 4G with individuals spending numerous their time, even for social interactions, on-line. “Our data shows that HikeLand users are spending time between 10 pm and 12.30 am on the app after they are done with dinner and they want to hang out with their friends.”

“We felt the need for building a new experience for social interactions, as we felt that there’s no reason why people should be confined to a pure messaging experience. Social norms continue to be reshaped. Offline lives, for many Indians, are policed, but online lives are not. We wanted to create a safe place where people can be their best selves and friendships can blossom,” stated Mittal. 

Its newest upgrades see HikeLand permitting customers to increase their HikeLand Dwelling to 3 different customers, with the choice of getting group video chats. Every person will get a full-body ‘HikeMoji’ digital avatar by simply clicking a selfie. They’ll then customise their HikeMoji with greater than 40 localised components, together with a wardrobe with choices throughout Indian, western, easy, premium, sports activities, lounge, superheroes amongst different classes.

Whereas it’s anticipated for HikeLand to remind certainly one of ‘life-simulation’ video video games akin to Farmville or Sims, it’s value noting that gaming, by means of Ludo, types simply a part of the expertise on HikeLand. 

Income Experiments For Monetisation Of HikeLand

When requested about monetising the HikeLand expertise, Mittal revealed that the corporate was working income experiments with the product. 

“We are excited that microtransactions are coming to life and that’s a significant willingness to pay for virtual goods. We are also looking at games as a bite-sized source of entertainment. If Ludo does well, we will expand the portfolio for games on our platform.”

Mittal added that video games on HikeLand must be a way to hang around on-line. As such, the video games on HikeLand could be developed each in-house in addition to with partnerships with sport builders and studios. It’s value noting that Hike is an investor within the Delhi-headquartered informal gaming platform WinZO

HikeLand additionally affords a ‘Big Screen’, a devoted house for connecting with like-minded people apart from your current pals. Utilizing the function, which works like a digital theatre, customers can watch content material collectively, additionally see one another’s profile and chat individually. Mittal advised Inc42 that whereas the function at present works with YouTube integration, the corporate can also be engaged on integrating Netflix and Amazon Prime into HikeLand. 

“The feedback on HikeLand Early Preview has been fantastic. With over 50 mins time spent / day, users love the new user experience and it’s clear they just want more. Today, we’re following through on that demand,” stated Mittal. 

Whereas a number of Indian startups are engaged within the social and gaming house, Hike’s HikeLand is the first-of-its-kind integration of each domains in a separate product. 

In August 2016, Hike turned the 10th Indian unicorn (valuation of $1 Bn). Hike has raised over $261 Mn in capital from top-tier buyers akin to SoftBank, Tiger World, Tencent, Foxconn & Bharti, amongst others.

With inputs from Yatti Soni



[ad_2]

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Recent Comments

chiffon dress design in pakistan on Realme 6 Pro Review | NDTV Gadgets 360
You searched for on Realme X50 Pro 5G Review
Telefoane Mobile Ieftine si Accesorii on Oppo Enco Free True Wireless Earphones Review