2020 saw a massive boom in the demand for AR/VR communication software, and one of the companies that debuted during this time is the Canadian social VR platform, Hoppin’ World.
Hoppin’ World was founded in 2018, based out of Montréal, Québec. It was envisioned as a multi-user social VR platform, where creators could submit and share their immersive destinations and organisations could convert their in-person spaces like concerts, holidaying spots, etc., into VR. After spending the first two years on research and development, Hoppin’ World launched its VR application to the public in June of 2020. It would allow companies and individual users to gather in a virtual space, which would recreate real physical locations with an impressive degree of verisimilitude. As the name suggests, travel was a prominent use case, particularly for the consumer market.
Between the soft release in November 2019 and June 2020, Hoppin’ world acquired clients across Canada, the US, and the UK, in addition to strategic distributor partnerships in 12 countries.
In July 2020, Hoppin’ World was named a winner of the Centech Accelerator Program, obtaining a spot in an intensive 12-week program for promising startups. Expectedly, 2021 will be an important year for the company – let’s explore what it has to offer.
What Are the Key Features of Hoppin’ World?
Hoppin’ World is a virtual reality application targeting individual consumers, businesses, independent content creators, and content studios. Here are its key features:
Content library and channels
Hoppin’ World lets organisations create VR destinations that can be visited by consumers. Governments can recreate entire cities, you can have museums and galleries, companies can hold public events in VR. the platform supports dedicated channels (like YouTube), as well as monetisation capabilities.
Enterprise sales solutions
There is a Hoppin’ World offering specifically designed for enterprise sales. You can create your desired scene and 3D assets inside the VR platform. Next, you send your prospect a headset, and Hoppin’ World will teleport them into the space you have designed, where you can meet prospects in an interactive virtual setting.
Virtual tours
Hoppin’ World currently has a patent pending for avatar-based virtual tours. Potentially, users would be able to teleport their 3D selves into the virtual world, and you would be able to use a live or pre-recorded avatar to guide them through the environment.
360-degree videos
An important part of the Hoppin’ World value proposition is the ability to embed 360-degree videos inside of the VR environment, which you can watch as part of a group. This social viewing experience is intended to increase consumer engagement.
What Are the Benefits of Using Hoppin’ World?
A unique aspect of the offering is that it matches organisations with content creators, acting as almost a marketplace for businesses, creators, and consumers. This ensures you gain a high degree of expertise and have a ready audience to consume your VR content, as part of the offering itself.
How Much Does It Cost?
Hoppin’ World is currently available in early access for free if you are an end-consumer looking to explore VR destinations on the platform.
