This was bound to happen. After Palworld’s unprecedented success and comparisons to one of the most well-known multimedia brands, Pokémon, Nintendo was expected to address the Mammorest in the room.
In its latest financial results briefing (via Reuters), Nintendo’s CEO, Shuntaro Furukawa, was asked about what many are describing as “Pokémon with Guns.”
Without directly mentioning the viral game, Furukawa emphasized the company’s stance on protecting its intellectual property, stating, “We will take appropriate action against those that infringe our intellectual property rights.”
Palworld, which launched into early access on PC and Xbox, quickly became a topic of debate for its character designs that many have likened to characters found in Pokémon games. As of February 1, Palworld boasted impressive sales figures with 12 million copies sold on Steam and an additional 7 million players on Xbox, marking it as a breakout success.
Furukawa’s statement mirrors a similar sentiment expressed by The Pokémon Company. Its previous declaration of investigating whether Palworld infringes on its intellectual property rights is still fresh on everyone’s minds. The Pokémon Company emphasized its commitment to safeguarding the Pokémon franchise and its world, proving that Palworld has no permission to use Pokémon intellectual property.
Palworld’s director, Takuro Mizobe, responded to the accusations of plagiarism by asserting that the game had passed legal reviews. Furthermore, other companies have yet to take any legal action. Mizobe stressed the seriousness with which Pocketpair approaches the game’s development and their intention to avoid infringing on the intellectual property of others.
Despite the controversy, Palworld’s gameplay diverges significantly from Pokémon, offering a unique survival game experience more like ARK: Survival Evolved and Valheim. The game’s success is also partly attributed to its availability across multiple platforms, unlike Pokémon, which remains exclusive to Nintendo platforms. This catch-all approach and the game’s affordable pricing likely play the biggest roles in its impressive sales figure and player base.
Nevertheless, Nintendo’s reaction to Palworld’s similarities with Pokémon is noteworthy. It’s true that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have not yet taken legal action. However, their statements indicate a willingness to protect their intellectual property rights.
Many remain curious about how the situation will develop, particularly its potential effect on the boundaries of inspiration and plagiarism in game design.
Palworld is technically exclusive to Xbox but it’s likely coming to other platforms after the Early Access period ends next year. For now, Pocketpair’s focus is on two things: fixing incumbent issues and keeping server costs in check.
