Metaverse video chat app from Bunch

Since we started Bunch in late 2017, our vision has always been to build a real-time social network where people come together when they are physically apart and move from experience to experience. And, in our view, the most fun experience to share with friends, is to play games together!

Recapping the past few years

In the past few years, we have seen this vision come to life in many ways:

Bunch, our group video chat app for gaming, helped millions of people stay connected with friends and family in a difficult time where we had to be physically apart. The app continues to rank at the top in most countries for searches like "group video chat".

Our vision for building an integrated social layer for multiplayer games was shared by many game companies like Supercell, Electronic Arts, Take 2 Interactive, Miniclip, and Ubisoft who joined our Series A financing round.

We have brought together a world-class team from companies like Meta, Google, and Kik Messenger, that combines the DNA of building social apps, developer platforms, games, and blockchain technology.

We have also learned from our users by talking to them and observing behaviors from our analytics. Many users start Bunch parties that go for hours where they come in and out with their friends as they do homework, play games like Roblox, and just hang out together when they are physically apart.

Our view of the Metaverse

Many view technologies like AR/VR and blockchain as the building blocks of the Metaverse. Some view the Metaverse as a mood-board for cool stuff that might happen on the internet in the next 10 years. At Bunch, our view of the Metaverse is anchored around the utility it provides:

“Digital spaces to come together, and move from experience to experience.”

Based on this definition, the Metaverse is already here!

Millions of players spend time with friends in digital worlds like Roblox and Minecraft every day. These applications offer experiences that are made for and contained within these platforms. For example, players can meet up on Roblox and move from Roblox game to Roblox game. However, they can’t meet on Roblox and play Fortnite or Minecraft.

Based on the same definition, popular chat applications like Discord and Bunch where players party up and move between external experiences like Roblox and Minecraft can be considered Metaverse applications, too. However, while these are examples of open-ended Metaverse applications, they are non-spatial. That is, shared presence between players happens in the form of text, voice, and video chat, instead of a game-like environment.

Lastly, Metaverse applications like Sandbox and Decentraland form another category where they have decentralized economies. These applications use the blockchain to allow players to truly own in-game assets where they can independently sell or trade these assets on open exchanges like OpenSea.

Another benefit of decentralized economies is the extensible utility of blockchain assets. That is, applications can offer utility for blockchain assets that originated elsewhere. One example of this is Oncyber.io where players can connect their blockchain wallets to display NFTs they own in their personal space.

Here is a quick comparison chart for the examples shared above:

We believe Bunch is uniquely positioned to deliver compelling value to players and developers alike, by creating an integrated metaverse for gaming that is:

Spatial Environment (like Roblox) Players embody 3D avatars where they come together and explore digital spaces

Open-Ended Experiences (like Discord) Players party up on Bunch and move between their favorite games outside the app

A decentralized Economy (like Sandbox) Allows players to truly own in-game assets and facilitates extensible utility

Meet Bunch 2.0, the Metaverse video chat app

The good news is that we’ve been heads-down building this vision over the past year, and we’re excited to share it with the world! Bunch will become your home in the metaverse that lets you party up and jump into your favorite games.

Bunch 2.0 already works, and we’ve been having a lot of fun with it. We’re excited to share it with more people on an invite-only basis as we continue to build out the experience.

In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter for early access to our Discord, upcoming NFT release, and Bunch 2.0!