It is an undeniable phenomenon: talking about ‘life simulators’ implies bringing up the saga of The Sims. While it is true that the video game industry has seen several proposals that tried to compete with the giant created by Maxis and EA, nothing and no one has managed to snatch the throne from this iconic franchise. But now, after a reign that has lasted almost 25 years, there is the possibility that The Sims will be forced to take off its crown to face its toughest rival to date: inZOI.
With a strong emphasis on realism, detailed customization, and the promise that players will be able to “alter every aspect of their world to create unique stories and experiences,” inZOI has come to be known popularly as ‘the great competitor of The Sims’. And it’s because the Krafton team has managed to exploit the component that has gathered so many fans around the Maxis saga. We are not talking about simply creating yourself in a game, nor about the craziness typical of the franchise like death from a hungry ‘cow-plant’. Instead, it’s about turning the game into a platform for self-expression.
Throughout its many years at the top, The Sims has formed a strong community that returns more or less frequently to the life simulator with the idea of creating a Sim (whether it’s an imitation of the user or a completely invented character) and crafting stories in a controlled context. This is because the work of Maxis is not simply about creating an avatar and ensuring its survival through all stages of life until death; this is not the goal of any of the games. The experience involves giving players options to express themselves as they wish, whether or not with the intention of seeing themselves reflected in the title, and for their creations to “live” the situations conceived by the user. In fact, there are countless YouTube series that follow the anecdotes of families or characters from The Sims; all with the sole purpose of telling something new using the EA game.
This is where inZOI comes in as a contender to the crown in the life simulator genre. By focusing on providing a more detailed experience, players are encouraged to let their imagination soar both in personal expression and in the creation of unique characters/stories. There is still much to learn about this new experience, but all indications point to it causing, at least, a slight tremor in the empire built by The Sims.
Expression like you’ve never seen before
Every player experiences The Sims in their own way. Some enjoy just tinkering with the Create a Sim mode to bring new characters to life. Others enjoy the Live Mode by leading a family through multiple generations. And there are users who prefer to spend most of their time in Build Mode designing modern houses, impressive buildings, and rooms of all kinds. Therefore, every EA update that introduces novelties in any of these modes is very well received among community members.
The Sims players seek to express themselves or their stories in the most detailed way possible.
The introduction of Vitiligo in The Sims 4 is a good example of this. After its implementation earlier this year, users quickly shared their first Sims with Vitiligo on forums and social networks like Reddit. Obviously, not everyone has created characters with this condition, but it is a demonstration that the community celebrates the arrival of any additional customization option. In fact, this also explains the enormous popularity of mods in any installment of The Sims; additions that can enrich Create Mode with more alternatives or expand the possibilities of Live Mode by unlocking abilities not considered by Maxis and EA.
On the other hand, inZOI aims to compete against The Sims using technical power and a realism never seen before in the flagship saga of life simulators. And, considering that players seek to express themselves or their stories in the most detailed way possible, it is not difficult to see why the work of Krafton can carve out a niche in this unique market. In fact, the initial impressions of players indicate that the South Korean experience is on the right track by betting on realism if it wants to outpace the franchise of The Sims.
An Incredibly Comprehensive Editor
Last August, inZOI caused a sensation among the many fans of The Sims by releasing a temporary demo that, for a few days, showcased the capabilities of its Character Editor. And the results impressed everyone; in a matter of hours, the community had already created very faithful representations of well-known figures like Michael Jackson or Taylor Swift. But the most curious thing about this phenomenon is that many players took this opportunity to share images of invented characters they had previously played with in The Sims installments. Avatars born in the Maxis experience that will also end up being created in the Krafton ecosystem because users hold them so dear that they don’t want to leave them behind.
Because, as we mentioned earlier, inZOI aims to offer a more realistic experience on all levels: in the creation of the so-called ‘zois’, in the performance of everyday activities, in the complex family and work dynamics, and even in the management of the entire city. A completely customizable canvas that provides thousands of possibilities for those who enjoy playing The Sims to craft stories in a very different format.
Furthermore, EA has taken advantage of its high position in the life simulation market to carry out certain strategies that are not very popular among community members. Beyond presenting a plan to turn The Sims saga into a kind of hub with more experiences (thus forgetting about The Sims 5), the team has become accustomed to releasing dozens of DLCs ranging from interesting expansions to quite dispensable accessory packs; in fact, obtaining all these contents only in The Sims 4 requires spending almost 1,000 euros. Therefore, we could say that The Sims is a giant with several weaknesses to exploit; and inZOI is proving that it will take advantage of all the shortcomings and weaknesses of the EA and Maxis franchise to establish itself as a strong contender for the ‘king’ of life simulators.
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