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Swedish students swipe into dating app scene

Two student friends are attempting to take on Tinder with a dating app designed for shy yet tech-savvy Swedes. But they're facing tough competition from a range of other new options for people seeking sex or relationships in Sweden.

Swedish students swipe into dating app scene
Trice founders Simon Lidén and Oscar Hentschel. Photo: Private
While not everyone using Tinder will be able to identify with Simon Lidén and Oscar Hentschel's experience of “getting hundreds of matches”, the two 23-year-olds' critique of the world's biggest dating app could well sound familiar to people swiping in Sweden.
 
“When we met at business school in 2013, Tinder had just arrived and everyone was using it and loved it. But among all our friends we noticed that while everyone was swiping, people were only actually talking to one or two people,”  Lidén tells The Local.
 
“It felt a bit forced to contact people in text form…not really like a normal conversation.”
 
For anyone who hasn't been on Tinder (although we're betting that if you're under 30 you'll almost have certainly tried it out on a friend's phone if not your own), it offers you the chance to swipe right if you like someone or left if you don't. If you get a match you're able to chat with one another. But as Lidén argues, that might not be as easy as it sounds in a country where small talk is usually kept to the bare minimum and modesty is celebrated.
 
“We are a Swedish team and so we discovered some tendencies specific for users here…We felt that something about the way you communicate [on Tinder] wasn't really right for the Swedish market which is more shy and stiff.”
 
Yet at the same time, the duo found themselves and their friends embracing Snapchat, the social media app that allows users to send photos and videos to followers which disappear after a few seconds, and has a growing user base among technology-loving young Swedes.
 
“We realized that our problem had already been solved,” explains Lidén.
 
Enter 'Trice – Match and Snap!' the pair's startup venture that combines a swiping tool with an interface that also lets you ping pictures and clips to people you match with and use a symbol to alert them when you're out partying (avoiding the standard “out tonight?” message popular among less original Tinder users). Any shared media disappear from the app 24 hours later.
 
 

What the app looks like. Image: Trice
 
“With pictures it's easier to make conversation,” says the former business student.
 
“Say for example you sent me a picture of you in a cool hat or a picture on the beach. It's much easier to chat about your surroundings, like you would if you met someone in real life.”
 
It's a convincing argument and Lidén is frank when he admits he has “no idea” why other photo-based dating apps have yet to take off in Sweden despite the fact that many Tinder users quicky turn to alternative solutions such as Whatsapp or Facebook in order to communicate with their matches using pictures and videos.
 
While he remains tight-lipped about Trice's user base, Lidén says that the new offering has prompted 30,000 swipes since its official launch a week ago and has already caught the eye of at least one so-called “angel investor” who could potentially help finance the project.
 
In the meantime both he and Hentschel are living off the last dregs of their student loans alongside personal savings, having finished their studies in July.
 
But the born-and-bred Stockholmer appears confident that financial rewards will come from developing their idea in “one of the best tech cities in the world”, despite numerous other dating apps also hitting the Swedish market in recent months.
 

Tinder has 50 million global users. Photo: Tsering TopgyalTT
 
Happn, which first caused a stir in France in 2014, arrived in Sweden earlier this year with a tagline of 'find the people you've crossed paths with', which it does by revealing other singles within a 250 metre radius.
 
And earlier this month Swedish clothing brand Björn Borg launched Sprinter, an app designed to help users 'sweat, swipe and socialize' by connecting potential workout buddies but which has quickly been adopted by some users as a new way of seeking out sex with other fitness fans.
 
“Yes, there is Happn and there is also Hinge and Bumble and others,” says Lidén.
 
“There are plenty of rival apps that have taken on the swiping aspect and some of them bring innovation in terms of how you find people, such as through common interests or crossing paths. But there hasn't been this kind of innovation on the communications part. We believe we are the first ones,” he says, referring to Trice's photo and video function.
 
 
Lidén also argues that the plethora of dating options for Generation Y is in fact a “huge plus” in a world where the whole point of signing up to new applications is to meet a wider range of people.
 
“With Facebook and Instagram for example, users want to be where their friends and family are and so the competion [in the social media development market] is hard. But among our friends using dating apps we saw that people sometimes had three or four or five apps. We hope this [dating app] trend will become even bigger so we can be part of it. We don't mind if our users keep Happn as well!” he laughs.
 
Lidén's advice to those testing out any new technologies as a way to flirt or find a new relationship is to “just be yourself” and he's convinced that he and Oscar Hentschel's invention provides the perfect platform for singles in Sweden.
 
“What's really positive about Trice is you can really show your life. If you spend time at home reading books you can share photos of that or you can show pictures of you doing sports. You'll also get a window into someone else's life, without everyone having to describe it in writing. It will be more natural.”
 
With swiping and photo sharing already a huge part of daily routines for so many young Swedes, it doesn't sound like a huge leap. But first this startup's got to be viewed as hot enough to score a heart from those angel investors.
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WORKING IN SWEDEN

How to switch to a career in Sweden’s booming gaming industry

Sweden's gaming industry is crying out for top international talent, but the skills shortage also creates opportunities for professionals in other fields to switch to a career in gaming. Senior experts share their best tips with The Local.

How to switch to a career in Sweden's booming gaming industry

Home to world-famous gaming studios like Mojang, King and DICE – the creators of Minecraft, Candy Crush and Battlefield, respectively – Swedish games have been downloaded nearly seven billion times. Every fourth person on the planet has played a game made in Sweden.

And the number of new gaming companies and employees is only increasing, despite concerns about the impact of the pandemic, according to a report from Sweden’s gaming industry association

In 2022, Swedish gaming studios increased turnover by 18 percent to 32.6 billion kronor, setting a new record. Combined, the turnover of the 23 listed computer game companies amounted to 61 billion kronor – a threefold increase since 2020 and almost twice as much as in 2021.

However, the talent shortage is an ongoing struggle, and the industry relies heavily on foreigners to plug the gaps.

“There’s a massive skills shortage, especially on the technical side, due to the sheer amount of coding required. I think the industry wants to do more to keep growing the Swedish game phenomena, but the talent shortage hinders us,” says Ludvig Moberg Edenbäck, people experience partner at Mojang Studios.

But if you’re a gaming newbie, how do you make the switch?

Bringing a fresh perspective could be your ultimate ability

Magdalena Björkman, a senior producer at Arrowhead Games, has a background in linguistics and started her career in the manufacturing industry back home in Poland.

“The gaming industry needs people from different backgrounds more than ever. We really need to encourage people who bring different perspectives to the table to come in,” she says.

After studying Japanese, Björkman worked as a translator and coordinator, acting as a conduit between Polish and Japanese engineers. One day she stumbled across a job ad for a Polish games developer looking for an assistant producer who could handle localisation, and eventually started looking for opportunities outside of Poland, landing a role at King in Sweden.

“Swedish and Polish work culture is totally different. I had to get used to not having to be the loudest person in the room to get my opinion across, which I actually really like. It was really, really nice working for King. It was a lot more collaborative. In general, Sweden felt a lot more progressive than Poland.”

Björkman knows other linguists who switched to gaming too and says being able to interpret and translate what people are saying to others is a crucial skill, especially as a producer.

“Whatever you do, you always end up working with people, communication and translation. I’ve always been trying to connect people, and as a games producer, being able to translate different perspectives to help collaboration. Gaming is also a multinational crowd. So if you come from linguistics and you know how to work with different people and cultures, it’s a good fit.”

You don’t need to know how to build games – but you need to be passionate about them

Luis Cascante, currently chief of staff at Rovio and head of the board of education for Futuregames, stresses that this is an industry that values passion. “If you don’t care about games at all, don’t bother,” he says. Gaming isn’t just a business, it’s a creative art form, and you’re unlikely to get hired if the interest and passion aren’t there.

“I’ve worked with studio founders who basically tell everyone they expect passion, whatever their role is, and if they don’t have it, there’s no place for them in their studio,” says Cascante.

Around half of Mojang’s staff have a technical background, and 30 percent are foreigners. Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/imagebank.sweden.se

Mojang’s Moberg Edenbäck, who is an avid gamer, agrees that demonstrating an interest in gaming helps, although it’s not a strict requirement for all roles.

“At Mojang, we’re in a unique spot because we’ve been around for 15 years and a lot of people that reach out to us have grown up with Minecraft. Sometimes Minecraft is even the reason they started coding, and working here is basically their dream job,” he says.

“But if that’s not the case, one thing people can do to demonstrate interest is to have hobby projects. A lot of people create games in their spare time, or designers and artists create characters just for fun. If you do that, it’s definitely a positive.”

Identify your transferable skills to help you level up

Like any other industry, there are plenty of transferable skills that make your application more desirable. Coders have a slight advantage, as games are built using programming languages (specifically C++ and Java), putting experienced coders in high demand.

“If you’re a C++ developer and you have some experience, even if it’s not with games, you will always be on the map. There is absolutely no shortage of roles that you can apply for,” says Luis Cascante.

Many blockbuster games are built using C++, and experience with 3D creation tools like Unreal Engine and Unity provides the easiest entry points if you come from a technical background.

Cascante says data analysis is another sought-after skill: “It’s not necessarily part of hands-on game creation, but data analysts are definitely in demand. At Rovio, none of our data analysts are from Europe, because we simply can’t find them.”

“If you’re good at maths, statistics and SQL, studios are more likely to pick you up, even if you’re slightly more junior because there’s such a demand right now,” he adds.

DICE, headquartered in Stockholm, is one of the major players in the gaming industry. Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/imagebank.sweden.se

But it’s not all about coders.

“Producers, artists, designers, marketers and HR practitioners are all needed to successfully build, launch, and market a successful game,” adds Moberg Edenbäck.

Project management, product management and UX design are also highly transferable skill sets, with many people bringing this kind of expertise into gaming after starting out their careers in other industries.

Network, get a mentor and look for internships

Some practical tips Magdalena Björkman shares for those wanting to switch to gaming are to network, look for mentors, and keep an eye out for internships.

“People are very friendly in the gaming industry, so just talk to them! It’s easy to reach out and approach people as mentors, which can help a lot. Also, look for internships, and go to networking events,” she says.

“There are more opportunities now compared to ten years ago, with boot camps and such. I work with a producer at Arrowhead now who had a background in publishing, but he did a course, and now he’s a full-time game producer.”

However, she urges people not to take the decision to switch careers lightly.

“Gaming can be tough. You need to love what you’re doing, take care of yourself, and have other hobbies outside of gaming. It’s easy to get consumed,” she says.

Get an education in gaming

For those who are truly committed to switching to a career in gaming, studying at one of Stockholm’s specialised gaming schools may be an option (they also offer evening classes).

Unsurprisingly, Futuregames’ Cascante is a big advocate for gaming schools and believes they’re a great pathway into the industry for people with the interest but not the experience.

“I’m chairman of the board of education at Futuregames, and we see people in Stockholm are actually taking courses to break into the industry,” he says.

“They take around two and a half years, which sounds like a lot, but you get a lot of training and professional internships in studios. The schools are really good at matchmaking between companies and students. Often the students stay on after their internships, and if they don’t, they still get at least six months of real experience in the industry.”

Minecraft has sold more than 300 million copies, making it the best selling game ever. Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/imagebank.sweden.se

Other schools include the Sweden Game Area and The Game Assembly, which offer courses in everything from agile project management in gaming to game design and 3D modelling for artists. Most of Sweden’s gaming studios offer internships regularly, including Mojang.

Swedish universities also offer part-time remote modules in for example coding. It’s free to study at university in Sweden for EU citizens and for non-EU residents who are in Sweden on another permit than a student permit, so for example work permits or spouse permits.

Ride the post-boom wave

The gaming industry has a historic reputation for only hiring people with gaming experience, but Björkman believes this mindset is changing.

“In the past, the industry has been a little elitist. It used to be that you needed ten years of experience to get into gaming, but now that’s changing and it’s becoming more open. This is great because we need experience from different industries to bring new know-how and knowledge. We don’t need to do things the same way all the time,” she says.

This is no surprise. After substantial long-term success, it makes sense that a talent-strapped industry has to start casting its net a little wider.

The conclusion? As long as you’re passionate, proactive, and can offer a valuable new perspective, it’s definitely possible to switch to a career path in Sweden’s burgeoning gaming industry.

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