'It was truly eye-opening to realize just how many people deeply love this type of game': Inzoi director hopes his life sim will 'bring comfort to many players' lives'
Inzoi director Hyungjun 'Kjun' Kim is gearing up for his game to be the first one to actually stand toe-to-toe with The Sims—not that he views his life sim as competition to EA's own, mind you. Considering this is the first time in over two decades that we're seeing something release that's seemingly close to the scale and scope of The Sims, I've been intrigued about Kjun's thought process throughout development.
During a recent interview for our latest issue of PC Gamer magazine, I asked Kjun what he had enjoyed about creating Inzoi the most, and what he was looking forward to in the days, weeks, and months ahead of the game's launch. I was expecting something about the challenge, or the fact he's not having to work on an MMO anymore, but I found the answer a lot more surprising and endearing.
"One of the most fascinating aspects of developing Inzoi has been the enthusiastic reactions and feedback from fans of the genre," Kjun told me. "It was truly eye-opening to realize just how many people deeply love this type of game. The immense anticipation and valuable input we've received from players have been a tremendous source of motivation throughout the development process."
Kjun has been putting emphasis on the players and their input for much of Inzoi's development—he previously highlighted the desire to work closely with creators, and the game plans to launch with full mod support. That close developer-player relationship is something that won't stop once Inzoi ships, by the sounds of things.
"What I look forward to most is continuing to communicate with players in creating the game together," Kjun continued. "While there may still be areas for improvement, we want to release the game through Early Access and actively incorporate players' feedback to make Inzoi even more enjoyable."
Now if there's one thing Kjun can't resist, it's a little waxing lyrical about his game and the people who look to play it, and he made sure to squeeze just a little bit of that in as our interview wrapped up. "Beyond simply creating a successful and beloved game, we hope that Inzoi will bring comfort to many players' lives," the director said. "As the saying goes, 'Life is a tragedy when seen up close, but a comedy when viewed from a distance.' We believe that observing life from a broader perspective can help us enjoy it more.
"More importantly, we sincerely hope these experiences can bring players strength and solace in their real life as well."
The newest issue of PC Gamer magazine is on stands right now in the UK, and hits the US on March 17.