Get Familiar With Hover, The TikTok for Twitch Streamers

ONE37pm: Are there any viewing trends you've noticed on the platform thus far? Like, games with the most-watched clips and most popular streamers?

Purell: The viewing trends we are noticing are typically around the most popular games in the given week (recently Elden Ring and Lost Ark), coupled with what challenges for the week are. As we are adapting our challenges to make the creators “do” something (opposed to them already having the content), we are finding them being more and more creative, in turn improving their content and making the viewing experience even more enjoyable.

ONE37pm: What are some future improvements and updates you'd like to see Hover.gg implement?

Purell: Right now, we're a small team, bootstrapping ourselves every step of the way with the primary goal of making sure we have a polished product in terms of performance. When you're part of the journey early on, you take for granted all the things the huge apps provide that our developers have been working on relentlessly to bring to Hover. Think about videos loading quickly, the buttons consistently working, etc. Now that we are growing and building a bigger team, I'm looking forward to more editing features, an improved web experience, and hopefully a full integration with YouTube.

ONE37pm: Clip Challenges is one of the cooler concepts that Hover.gg utilizes. What was the thought process that went into making that feature a reality?

Purell: Early on during the alpha, we wanted to come up with something that was fun, different, and unique for our users to keep excited about the project. We thought it would be cool to try and have this tournament-style clip contest where all our alpha users could come together and watch other content whilst discovering other creators. After a couple of weeks of great results, we felt like we were on to something and wanted to make this a staple for our community.

ONE37pm: How did you acquire the position of COO as a part of Hover.gg?

Purell: I personally came on to the app with a sub of 2000 users. A friend recommended me to the app and its challenges - I entered one and came 2nd. I personally feel I was robbed and it was a fantastic Valorant Ace - but the chat knows what they want to vote for! After entering a few challenges, the original host of the show was moving on as he had been offered a new exciting job. So the team was advertising for a new host. I submitted an audition with a short background of experience I had and I was lucky enough to land the position.

As well as being the host of the shows, I took a great interest in the direction of the app and how it all worked, the team behind it was passionate, and I loved the direction they were going. After a few months of being host, I suggested the first-ever NTS - after a few meetings of persuasion, I managed to get the team to say yes to giving it a try. During the first NTS, we had around 5000 users. During the launch of NTS (at the time it was 2 weeks), we had 7000 sign-ups! 

After the event, I said I wanted to help as much as I could. A couple of months afterward, I handed in my notice to the British Army so that I could give Hover as much of my time as possible. During the next few months, we had several different events, collaborating with brands on events, such as SteelSeries - hosting another two NTS events and really embedding myself in the community. In January of 2022, Jake and Zander approached me and offered me the position of COO - I was honored to take the position and strive to make a huge impact on the company and its direction throughout 2022!

ONE37pm: Give us your thoughts on the current state of game streaming and what hopes you have for it in the future.

Purell: Even though streaming boomed during the height of the pandemic, I still think we're in the early stages of it all - especially as we transition to a web 3/metaverse world. To me, I see consumers wanting more out of their favorite influencers and streaming through its para-social relationship. It gives them what they are looking for. 

In a few years, more and more consumers will break away from watching football, sports, the news, TV shows, and music concerts. But run to watch their favorite streamers showcase these events. Furthermore, as we move into an AR/VR world, users are going to be searching for friends and communities. We strongly believe that 60-second shorts on Hover are going to be where you start your journey.