Houseparty is closing, so you’ll have to use Zoom like everyone else – Pocket-lint

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(Pocket-lint) – Houseparty rose to fame when the lockdown began in 2020, presenting a fun alternative to existing video calling options.

The great thing about Houseparty was that you could chat with someone and more would come, join the party and then leave – like a party. The best thing was that friends of friends – random ones – would come, without the formality of some of the other video apps.

The party ends in October, however, with Epic Games (yes, Epic Games) calling for time to have fun. The app has been removed from the app stores and in October the service will be shut down.

Houseparty is part of Epic Games, and the team says they’re working on ways for people to interact socially within the Epic Games family.

These experiments, the team explains in a blog post, are designed “on a metaverse scale,” which is one of the reasons the app and the Houseparty community can no longer be supported.

For many, Houseparty was just a fun outlet during pandemic shutdowns. In fact, many found that Houseparty lacked the quality or practicality of those systems that were originally designed for businesses, but quickly found consumer fame.

Of course, Zoom is the natural alternative, but you can find a full list of alternative video apps here.

Written by Chris Hall. Originally published on September 13, 2021.