Developed by Japanese studio Pocketpair (aka Pocket Pair Inc.), Palworld has quickly garnered attention, not only for its gameplay but also due to the historical association of its creator with generative AI tools. The surprise Pokemon-esque hit is just the newest in a growing number of AI infringement and plagiarism controversies that have gained widespread public attention.
Gaming has long grappled with the challenge of originality, and Palworld’s arrival has reignited discussions about the fine line between inspiration and imitation in the industry. While accusations of plagiarism have been fueled by the game’s painfully obvious similarities to Nintendo’s Pokémon, there’s more going on here.
🔥Available Now🔥#Palworldhttps://t.co/iovQXSkI3D
🧭Open world survival crafting game for up to 32 players
🔫Adventure with over 100 types of pals
💪Capture, train, battle or put your Pals to workWe have spent 3 years making our dream game and we hope everyone enjoys! pic.twitter.com/dbhHeFzVqL
— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) January 19, 2024
At the outset, it should be noted that the speculation around Palworld’s designs being AI-generated lack concrete evidence. The game’s credits list human character designers, and trailers showcasing these designs date back three years, suggesting substantial human involvement in the creative process.
Of course the company might just, you know, be lying, but let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. Despite the historical association of Pocketpair’s CEO, Takuro Mizobe, with generative AI tools, there is no definitive proof linking AI to Palworld’s design inception.
On the other hand, the debate over Palworld’s character designs being reminiscent of Pokémon is not a new one, having persisted since the game’s announcement. We’d also be approximately 0% surprised if a generative AI fan known for knockoff Pokémon designs used generative AI to make knockoff Pokémon designs.
Mizobe has acknowledged his admiration for AI in various tweets, praising its capability to generate, you guessed it, fake Pokémon designs. While this may raise eyebrows, it is crucial to distinguish between admiration for AI and direct implementation in Palworld’s design.
Adding complexity to the narrative is Pocketpair’s historical engagement with generative AI tools too, exemplified by their previous title, ‘AI: Art Impostor.’ This game explicitly utilized an AI image generator as part of its core mechanics, raising doubt about the studio’s approach to AI-driven creativity.
現在、弊社のアーティストに対して誹謗中傷が届いており、殺害予告に近いようなツイートも散見されます。
パルワールドに関して様々な意見を頂いておりますが、パルワールドに関する制作物の監修は全て私を含めた複数人で行っており、制作物の責任は私にあります。…
— Takuro Mizobe | Craftopia, Palworld (@urokuta_ja) January 22, 2024
In response to these aforementioned allegations, Mizobe defended Palworld, acknowledging similarities but condemning online abuse directed towards the game’s artists. Translated from Japanese, Mizobe’s post on X (formerly Twitter) reads:
Currently, we are receiving slanderous comments against our artists, and we are seeing tweets that appear to be death threats. I have received a variety of opinions regarding Palworld, but all productions related to Palworld are supervised by multiple people, including myself, and I am responsible for the production. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from slandering the artists involved in Palworld.
Contrasting Mizobe’s post, an anonymous account claimed to provide evidence not just of design inspiration, but actual plagiarism of game assets which has since been shared and explored by others on social media. This development intensified the scrutiny surrounding Palworld’s creative origins.
I went through the entire 111 list of Pals in Palworld to see what seems like a Pokémon rip off compared to not, because I’ve seen a lot of people talk about it but no full comprehensive list. Here’s what I found (it’s a lot) 🧵 pic.twitter.com/EPSpBvC9hD
— Cecilia Fae 🍂 (@CeciliaFae) January 21, 2024
The broader context of the gaming industry’s relationship with generative AI adds another layer to the controversy. Tools like Midjourney have faced criticism for potentially already replacing professional artists, prompting ongoing lawsuits against entities proven to have used artists’ work without permission for training AI models.
Palworld’s perceived lack of reverence for Pokémon and its unique approach to the genre further fuel the controversy. While games like Temtem, Cassette Beasts, and Coromon are celebrated for their homage to Pokémon, Palworld’s distinct marketing, featuring Pokémon with guns, and its portrayal of a more violent world have led to divided opinions among fans.
Mizobe’s past posts expressing optimism about AI tools potentially avoiding copyright issues and generating new Pokémon designs add an intriguing dimension to the discussion. While not conclusive evidence of AI involvement in Palworld’s designs, these posts raise speculation, especially considering the game’s development by a relatively inexperienced team. And, like, come on.
Palworld, as described by its creator, is an “action-adventure survival game,” offering a unique blend of capturing Pals (or human NPCs, which we can’t see going wrong at all…) for base building, exploration, and combat. Despite the plagiarism allegations, the game has received positive reviews on Steam with record-breaking sales and concurrent player activity.
The controversy surrounding Palworld underscores the evolving landscape of AI in the gaming industry. As the EU moves to regulate generative AI, and Valve updates rules for disclosing AI-generated assets on Steam, the debate over the intersection of creativity, AI, and plagiarism in gaming is likely to intensify this year.
