inZOI's Director Was Asked By His Son To Make A Competitor To The Sims

Summary

• Kim Hyung-jun is developing inZOI, a life simulation game intended to challenge The Sims.
• Kim worked on MMOs for 25 years and got sick of creating competitive-focused games.
• inZOI has attracted a large pre-release following.

inZOI director Kim Hyung-jun worked on Korean MMOs like Aion and Elyon for 25 years before resolving to create a competitor to Maxis' The Sims, an idea given to him by his son.

inZOI is in development at Krafton, a gaming holding company in Korea that was spawned out of the success of PUBG. The life simulation game has already attracted a large following, primarily because of how beautiful its characters, called Zois, look in Unreal Engine 5. inZOI's character creator was released on Steam a couple of months ago to great popularity, peaking at over 18,000 concurrent players.

Will inZOI Compete With The SIms?

In an interview with Stephen Totilo of Game File, Kim spoke about his gaming career and what he's trying to achieve with inZOI. "I have 24 years of game development, and I've been working on MMORPGs for the longest time," Kim said. "I got sick of it." Online multiplayer games are incredibly popular in South Korea, with Lost Ark, Maple Story and Aion being among the most popular MMORPGs played by Koreans. While there's a lot of fun to be found in competitive games, Kim wanted to move on to something more relaxing.

Then, Kim's son asked him why there wasn't another game like The Sims when the series had been around since 2000, and asked if Kim would create one. It's certainly one of the more wholesome reasons for developing a game and inZOI is off to a good start - gathering a substantial fandom before a game's release isn't easy. Kim's son also made an astute observation, The Sims hasn't had a significant competitor in the life simulation genre since its inception.

The recent cancelation of Paradox's Life By You has eliminated another potential competitor, leaving the independent project Paralives, Midsummer Studios' unannounced project and, of course, inZOI. Our own Rhiannon Bhevan previewed inZOI at Gamescom and found that even though the simulator has a "ridiculous" amount of detail, it feels too sandbox-y and directionless currently. Of course, inZOI is still early in development.

InZOI

WHERE TO PLAY

inZOI is a life simulation game where players step into the role of creators, shaping the world as they envision and witnessing the various stories that unfold.

Through this immersive experience, we aim to inspire players to appreciate life as the profound gift it is—a journey that is filled with meaning at every turn.

Step into diverse lives, brought to life with realistic graphics!
inZOI features a fully functional community simulation experience where characters, known as Zois, live their lives with their own free will.

Zois perform actions and build relationships based on their personalities and life experiences, leading to unexpected developments such as rumors, trends, and disease.

Take control of cities inspired by real-world locations and shape them into the perfect backdrop for your own stories by modifying factors such as weather, properties, and streets. All of this comes to life with stunning, realistic graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5.

Bring your imagination to life with endless customizations!
inZOI offers advanced customization tools, empowering creators to freely design their characters and bring their imagination to reality.

Choose from over 250 customization options to create your own unique Zoi, adjusting everything from hair, skin, and physique to outfits, accessories, nail art, and more.

Mix and match architectural elements like walls, roofs, stairs, fences, platforms, and gates to create unique buildings. Decorate spaces with a variety of objects, and customize your furniture to make every detail your own.

Bring your characters to life using inZOI's facial and motion capture capabilities, and create stunning videos set in your world of choice.

Share your creations and connect with other creators!
Easily share your creations and interact with other creators using Canvas, our in-game sharing platform. Showcase your characters, homes, and stories, or find inspiration from other creators. Join creators around the world on Canvas for a more connected inZOI experience!