In just a few days, InZOI is expected to becomethe next big thingin the Life Sim genre - a genre that so far, has been utterly dominated by EA’sSims. The game does seek to put its own unique spin on things - with the game’s use of generative AI being perhaps the most controversial of the bunch.
“We’re just taking our first steps along the path The Sims has paved," InZOI director Hyungjun Kim says in an interview withPCGamesN. “Just as every person leads a unique life, The Sims and InZOI each have their own meaning and value.”
Every time I play The Sims, I learn something new, and I often find myself resonating with the decisions made by its development team.
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Normally, studios are quick to point out how their particular “take” on a genre is better than all the others - how their twists make their game special in a way that other entries just can’t compete with. InZOI has these, but Kim seems to shy away from the comparisons regardless.
Kim is a long-time fan of the Sims, noting his experience with trying to make mods for the game. “I once pulled an all-nighter with my son trying to create a mod, but we kept running into bugs, making it feel as challenging as actual game development.”
That lasting experience has given Kim a sense of reverence for the Sims games - a project with decades of legacy behind it. Decades of experimentation, lessons learned, and progress towards perfection.
“To be honest, it’s a lot of pressure for us,” he says. “As a player, I genuinely support The Sims and look forward to what it has for us in the future.”
“The Sims is an incredible game, and I don’t think InZOI is anywhere near comparable – at least not yet.”
InZOI likely has a long road ahead if it wants to be on par with The Sims, at least in the mind of the game’s director. Given that the last Sims entry was released over a decade ago (though it’s received plenty of updates since then), Life Sim players are hungry for something new, and may be more accepting of a new kid on the block.
InZOI Hopes Players Enjoy Using Its AI Tools
Hyungjun Kim places special focus on user-generated content with InZOI, hoping to create an experience much easier than modding a Sims game. To that end, generative AI looks to be the option Kim’s most excited for, and he discusses how the game intends to use it.
With assurances that the game’s AI is trained only on studio-owned and ethically sourced data, Kim hopes to give players “a significant advantage in creative freedom.”
He does note, however, that the AI’s output has yet to “surpass the quality of assets handcrafted by our development team,” and anticipates that the devs will continue to make things for the game “for the forseeable future.”
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These comments come in the wake of severalcontroversiesaround the use of AI in games - but given the state of things, there’s always at least one AI-related controversy or another going on.
As studios experiment with ways to use AI that players won’t get outraged at, InZOI has kept some key arguments in mind - namely about job security for artists, and ensuring that all training data is properly sourced.
If these promises hold true, then the story of InZOI’s AI use will be an important one to watch, as it could very well become the blueprint other studios will try and follow. But if policies like those aren’t enough, then it’s back to the drawing board for anyonetrying to make a gaming AIhappen.
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