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Tinder’s Swipe Night Hits India: Choose Your Adventure!

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Tinder is set to launch its interactive experience Swipe Night in India on September 12. The feature immerses users in an apocalyptic narrative where an asteroid is predicted to strike Earth in less than three hours. Participants will make various choices—from light-hearted decisions, like selecting music, to weightier choices, such as aiding someone in need—that will shape the story and influence subsequent Tinder matches. Additionally, users’ significant decisions will be showcased on their profiles to serve as conversation starters.

This rollout comes nearly half a year after Tinder initially planned to introduce Swipe Night, a delay attributed to the global pandemic which made an apocalyptic theme seem inappropriate in March. With the ongoing nature of the pandemic, Tinder has opted to proceed with the launch now.

While life has been returning to normal in some Asian countries, like Korea and Japan, India faces significant challenges, currently reporting over 90,000 new COVID-19 cases daily—the highest count in the world.

Swipe Night was first introduced in the United States last September, where Tinder experienced a 26 percent increase in total matches during the event, alongside a 12 percent uptick in messaging compared to typical weekends. For its international launch, however, Tinder is implementing some changes.

The original four episodes have been streamlined into three, and unlike the U.S. version, Swipe Night will be accessible throughout entire weekends in India and other regions instead of just on Sundays.

The episodes will be released over three consecutive weekends, starting at 10 a.m. local time on Saturdays and running until midnight on Sundays. Notably, despite the trend towards on-demand viewing, Swipe Night will be an event that requires users to participate during specified hours.

Participants will have seven seconds to make choices during Swipe Night, reflecting Tinder’s intent to encourage users to trust their instincts rather than overanalyze their decisions. This mechanics mirrors Tinder’s core swiping functionality, reminiscent of games like Reigns.

Some choices have sparked considerable discussion among users, particularly in the United States. In the first episode, participants are faced with a dilemma: assist a puppy or a human. The majority opted to help the puppy.

At the conclusion of each episode, users will learn how many others made similar choices, and Tinder will highlight the top three decisions that reflect their personalities to facilitate connections with like-minded individuals.

While Swipe Night’s mechanics may initially confuse some users—such as needing to swipe right to select the top-left option—Tinder provides visual cues to guide them through the experience. All content is presented in vertical video format, designed for easy engagement.

Targeting Generation Z

Swipe Night is part of Tinder’s strategy to engage Generation Z, defined as users aged 18 to 25, which represents the app’s largest user demographic. The company aims to enhance user interaction and connection.

According to Tinder’s chief communications officer, Jenny McCabe, the boundaries between online and real-life interactions are blurred for Gen Z. The platform sought feedback from this demographic regarding their experiences on Tinder. Key concerns included the desire for a more dynamic app and challenges in starting conversations.

This feedback was inspired in part by the success of in-game events like Fortnite’s concert featuring DJ Marshmello. The concept of an interactive story where Tinder users navigate challenges and make choices emerged from these discussions.

The narrative was designed to reflect users’ personalities and facilitate connections. Tinder’s vice president of special initiatives, Paul Bouakadakis, was instrumental in crafting the storyline, which had to meet high content standards in today’s media landscape.

User surveys indicated an interest in themes of dystopian fiction and existential queries, leading to the apocalyptic premise of Swipe Night. To bring this story to life, Tinder enlisted scriptwriters Nicole Delaney (of Netflix’s Big Mouth) and Brandon Zuck (from Facebook Watch’s Five Points) and appointed Gen Z director Karena Evans, recognized for her work on Drake’s “God’s Plan.”

The complexity of the narrative involved multiple branching paths, similar to Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, with every choice aiming to reflect the user’s character traits. For example, decisions would reveal aspects such as humor preferences and coping mechanisms in stressful situations.

The integration of Swipe Night into the existing Tinder app was a technical challenge, as the platform wasn’t originally designed for interactive storytelling. Testing had to be carried out swiftly without gradual rollouts, leading to a ‘Trojan horse’ method of incorporating new features subtly.

While some features didn’t make the final version—like a tap-to-run function for character actions—Tinder remains focused on ensuring that each choice plays a role in the unfolding narrative. A second season of Swipe Night is already in the pipeline, although Tinder remains tight-lipped about future details.

Starting September 12, the first season of Swipe Night will be accessible to Tinder users in India.

Tinder’s Swipe Night Hits India: Choose Your Adventure!
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