The Crown dating app from Tinder's creators gamifies dating
If you thought Tinder was shallow for promoting its 'hot-or-not' approach in the online dating space, you might not be ready for what's coming next. From the makers of Tinder comes a new dating app called Crown which literally turns online dating into a game wherein you eliminate curated matches, knock-out tournament style, on a daily basis. Here's more on it.
Crown describes itself in a rather cheesy fashion
"Crown is the new dating game in your pocket! Everyday, cute singles vie for your attention in head-to-head competition. Who will win your crown?," reads the app's official website, rather cheesily.
Crown seeks to address the shortfalls of Tinder-like apps
The app was launched by the Match Group, the parent company of dating apps like Tinder, Match, and OK Cupid, among others. The idea behind the app, conceived by Match Product Manager Patricia Parker, seeks to address the shortfalls of Tinder-like apps - namely, the "cognitive overload" of having a virtually unlimited number of potential partners, and the associated addiction to dating apps.
How Crown matches you to someone
Crown, essentially, narrows down choice. Based on a (mysterious) algorithm, Crown presents 16 curated matches to its users daily at 12 noon. These matches are displayed in a comparative manner, two at a time, and the user has to 'crown' a winner. The process repeats itself till you reach the 'Final Four', who are given the opportunity to chat with you or pass.
Crown stresses on 'quality over quantity'
"It's like a 'Bachelorette'-style process of elimination that helps users choose between quality over quantity. Research shows that the human brain can only track a set number of relationships...and technology has not helped us increase this limit," explained Andy Chen, Vice President, Match Group.
Getting selected on Crown is a strong signal, apparently
In addition to your own 'winners', you might also be crowned as a 'winner' in other people's brackets, thereby expanding the potential number of matches possible. Apparently, getting dubbed a winner in Crown comes as a stronger signal of attraction than on apps like Tinder, because the winner has to beat several competitors. Conversely, getting passed on Crown could be more discouraging too.
Match Group says Crown increases chances of getting a date
As dehumanizing as Crown's approach is, Match Group says that the app actually increases, on an average, someone's odds of getting a date, compared to traditional dating apps. Additionally, with only a limited number of choices, Crown, intentionally or unintentionally, also addresses the issue of dating app addiction wherein people spend hours on these apps daily.
Currently, Crown is only available in Los Angeles
Crown has been live in a limited beta for some months now. The app was recently launched officially in Los Angeles, and is expected to roll-out to other cities fairly soon. Match Group says that Crown already has several thousand users, and has strong user-retention rates. Currently, the app is available for free on iOS, and an Android version is expected soon.
