Hello. Happy Friday!
This week as well, we’re bringing you a variety of updates about inZOI.
The video released today includes several updates planned for the March update. We had originally prepared an engine update, but unfortunately we won’t be able to release it in March. Instead, the engine will be updated to Unreal Engine 5.6 in the April update.
It’s a bit disappointing. There are still some stabilization tasks remaining, which is why we couldn’t move forward with the update sooner.
Also, the UI improvements we showed recently will unfortunately not be included in the March update. We’re preparing to present them in an improved form with the May update instead. We’ll work hard to get them ready. ^^; (For those who haven’t seen it yet, we’ve attached the video.)
However, the March update still includes many new additions, such as street parking lots, a minimap, eating while walking, dual-hand usage, baby-related interactions and outfit customization, memories, milestones, birthdays, a news feed, and much more.
We hope you enjoy today’s video, and as always, thank you for your continued support and love for inZOI.
— Kjun
Kjun’s Reply to Your Comments
Hello everyone, Wednesday is here.
I started my morning by reading your posts and discussing them with the team, and now I’d like to respond.
This week, many of you shared your thoughts and feedback on inZOI’s latest update. The main topics included introductions to new features, requests for gameplay improvements, reports on bugs and system issues, and suggestions regarding the game’s future direction.
First of all, thank you for the many kind words about the new features, such as the parking system, car theft, and children’s tricycles. The vehicle theft feature and the city parking system, in particular, received a very enthusiastic response, and we truly appreciate that. We were also glad to see positive feedback on ideas such as expanding the cinema feature, adding a job interview system, and broadening the range of business locations. That said, we also know these features still feel somewhat incomplete. We will continue improving them.
Requests for Game System and Bug Fixes
Many users asked us to invest more resources into the game’s core systems, especially autonomy, character personality, the job system, and bug fixing. As soon as the March update is complete, we plan to move directly into the 5.6 engine update and memory optimization. In April, more than half of our developers will be focusing on fixing bugs. I am truly sorry that we have not been able to address the bugs you are experiencing more quickly.
To speak honestly about why we have been pushing such aggressive updates: because this is our first time making a game like this, there were many mistakes in the original game design. So for now, our plan is to continue building the major features that are important to our vision, and then immediately follow up with a strong focus on bug fixing and stabilization. Especially after summer, we plan to focus mainly on content that does not hurt stability, such as furniture, clothing, and improvements to systems that already exist, while putting most of our manpower into bug fixing and overall stability.
I also take the current incompleteness of the systems and the impact of bugs on the game experience very seriously. I always feel sorry toward all of you.
Strengthening Social Interactions and Character Personality
There were many great suggestions on how to make NPCs and player characters feel more distinctive. You shared ideas about style identity systems, friend groups and social dynamics, and more varied emotional expression and behavior. We also received a lot of feedback about more realistic social interactions, such as expanding military careers, adding police chases, and strengthening workplace relationships. We will continue reinforcing and developing the relationships between Zois.
Requests for Graphics and Interface Improvements
Some of you feel that, compared to the game’s earlier reveals, the current graphics look flatter and less vibrant, and many asked us to return to or improve toward the previous visual quality. We did address some of those graphics requests in the March update. I was worried that these changes might negatively affect optimization, but fortunately, our internal evaluation suggests that both optimization and graphics have improved. I do worry a little, though, about whether this will fully meet your expectations.
There were also many comments about confusion caused by the UI changes, requests to bring back the previous UI, and suggestions to add an in-interface action search feature. This is currently in development, and we will make sure to update it by May. I’m sorry~~.
Increasing Gameplay Variety and Realism
You also shared many suggestions related to vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, and scooters, including theft, parking, and expanded customization features. There were also ideas for a more realistic hospital system, stronger farming and natural environment elements, and the introduction of difficulty settings. In addition, many of you asked for features such as directly driving vehicles or traveling together with companions, more diverse social events, and expanded school systems.
We also saw feedback about the farming and gardening system. Some of you felt that handling multiple crops all at once reduces immersion, and requested animations that let players manage each crop sequentially. Ah, when I read that, I thought, “Of course, this feedback was going to come up!” We will prepare improvements for that as well.
Discussion on Communication and Direction Between the Community and the Dev Team
Within the community, some concerns were raised that the development team may be swayed too much by player feedback and could lose its original vision and identity. I want to say this clearly: inZOI will follow its own path. Your opinions are valuable, and we listen carefully and take them into account when making decisions. But the inZOI team is made up of many passionate people working hard to create the game we truly want to make. Our dream may not always be the same as what you imagine, but I hope you can trust that we are moving sincerely toward that dream.
Many of you also emphasized the importance of maintaining a “Fundamentals First” principle by focusing on the core systems and building a long-term, systematic development strategy. There were also strong calls for surveys and more transparent communication so that we can better balance the wide range of player needs.
As always… it really feels like some of you are part of the dev team already. We are currently preparing a survey, so please take part when it is released.
Other Improvements and Feature Suggestions
- Automation tools for farming, such as sprinklers and seed spreaders
- Adding ticket purchases and audience reaction animations in cinemas
- Strengthening individual bank accounts and family finance systems
- Expanding character appearances, hairstyles, and emotional expressions
- More detailed and realistic in-game action animations
- Improving interface convenience, such as scroll bars and action search
Once again, I enjoyed reading your posts this week. This month’s update feels especially meaningful because it marks inZOI’s first anniversary, and it has made me think about many things. It really makes me realize that creating a life simulation game for the first time was such a fearless challenge. If someone turned back time and asked me to do it all over again, I think I would need some time to think about it.
Even so, I never imagined that I would be having such long conversations with all of you like this. Thank you, truly.
kjun
I’ve said it before, but I love that you guys are achieving what you set out to do. In my case, I don’t mind if certain things get postponed, because good things are worth the wait and I prefer that to what other players have mentioned, which is releasing something with lots of bugs. Personally, the minimap thing makes me happy haha it’s something simple but something I wished for and mentioned several times, I’m a person who gets disoriented in real life haha and in the game it wouldn’t be any different, haha especially when you don’t know the map yet and then you gradually memorize it.
‘A police career system including patrol cars and real-time criminal searches’ was always going to be a stretch with only 3 months dev time. OTOH we’ve seen hints of the enhanced job system and beauty-related careers that were also promised, so who knows?
Tricycles for toddlers. “borrowing” cars and actually having to interview for a job! That is amazing. I really love how goals are set and accomplished or even exceeded in such a timely manner. And the constant communication. What other game does that?