Feel free to tell those who told you that indie games are done and dusted to take a hike.
Pocket Pair's creature hunting game, Palworld, continues to blow past expectations, especially on Steam, collecting well over an estimated $216 million in revenue as it sells more than 8 million copies in less than 6 days. This astounding total makes Palworld part of a growing list of non-AAA titles that rake in both accolades and finances, sending a message to developers complaining that making video games have become impossibly expensive: big profits need not come as a result of absurd financial investments.
Palworld's turnout continues to buck trends, eschewing common sense and proving fun games will always sell.
Much like Alan Wake 2 and Baldur's Gate 3, two of last year's most critically acclaimed titles, Palworld was made on a relatively low budget. While Pocketpair was willing to dig deep into its pockets to see Palworld through to completion, it ultimately cost the developers only a billion yen to release it as an Early Access title, which is less than $7 million - an amount of money that it has made back many times over already.
Record-shattering" is an appropriate description for Palworld as it becomes a full-blown phenomenon, with millions of players spreading the good word that something other than a AAA title can deliver this much fun and excitement in a budget-friendly package.
