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Palworld Developer Responds to Pokemon Lawsuit from Nintendo

Sep 19, 2024

Palworld Developer Responds to Pokemon Lawsuit from Nintendo

As a long-time gamer with vivid memories of catching my first Pikachu back in the ’90s and more recently, taming my first Palworld monster, I find myself torn between two worlds. The recent lawsuit filed by Nintendo against Palworld developer, PocketPair Inc., has left me reflecting on the evolution of gaming IPs and their similarities.

In response to the legal action initiated by Nintendo against Palworld developer PocketPair Inc., the company has issued a statement. Given that such a dispute was likely inevitable due to the success of their intellectual property (IP), they now face the challenge of defending it. To learn more about how they’re responding and what lies ahead, let’s delve into the details together.

PocketPair Inc. Responds to Nintendo Pokemon Lawsuit: “It is truly Unfortunate”

Regarding the Lawsuit

Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed against our company for patent infringement.

As a devoted admirer, I’ve learned that a lawsuit has been filed against us. Consequently, I’m taking the necessary steps to initiate legal actions and conduct thorough investigations regarding the allegations of patent violations.

At this moment, we are unaware…

— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) September 19, 2024

In response to the lawsuit initiated by Nintendo, PocketPair Inc., the developers behind Palworld, have issued statements on both their official website and various social media platforms.

“We have been informed about a lawsuit filed against our company for alleged patent infringement. We will start the necessary legal actions and investigations to address these claims. It appears that we were unaware of certain patents that are being accused of being infringed upon.

Previously, PocketPair introduced Palworld – an open-world action-adventure RPG featuring a gameplay mechanism similar to Pokemon. In this game, players gather combat-ready creatures by employing spherical items as capture tools. These critters are stored until summoned for battle. If the concept of catching and battling creatures brings Pokemon to mind, be prepared for more resemblances.

In the game world of Palworld, creatures known as “Pals” bear a striking resemblance to familiar Pokémon characters. Although certain Pals exhibit unique appearances, there are undeniable resemblances that cannot be overlooked.

  • Anubis shares the same type body type and similar design to Lucario
  • Dinossom is just Meganium with a more dinosaur-themed look
  • Direhowl and Lycanroc look almost completely identical
  • Celaray looks like a cross-breed of Mantine with a touch of Lanturn

And we could keep adding to the list, but we think we made our point. But it’s not even just design, but also certain gameplay elements that make Palworld seem like Pokemon. In addition to the Pal Spheres (Poke Balls), there are typings for each Pal, as well as Gym Leaders (simply referred to as “Bosses”) and Legendary Pals which are much rarer than others.

In contrast, Palworld shares some similarities with Pokemon, but it places significant focus on crafting and base construction. While previous Pokemon games did offer secret base building, Palworld expands upon this concept. Resource gathering is crucial, and you assign your Pals to perform specific tasks at the base. Moreover, there’s a need to protect your base from potential threats.

Moreover, in Palworld, you’re invited to participate in the thrill. While your creatures, or Pals, primarily handle combat, you have the freedom to select a variety of weapons for your own engagement. There are numerous other gameplay aspects that set Palworld apart from Pokemon. However, the question remains: Is it distinctive enough? One thing is clear: PocketPair isn’t shying away from competition.

Based in Tokyo, Pocketpair is a compact independent gaming studio devoted to crafting enjoyable experiences. We’re committed to this mission because we understand that our games spread happiness across countless global gamers.

At its debut in Early Access, Palworld saw unprecedented success. It sold more than eight million units within just a week, and simultaneously boasted over 2 million concurrent players on Steam. While earlier trailers garnered a significant number of views, the extent to which the game would gain popularity so swiftly was beyond expectations.

Despite a slight decline in popularity, PocketPair intends to keep refining the game, Palworld. Unfortunately, ongoing legal issues might disrupt their development process. In their statement, they expressed that they are committed to enhancing Palworld and aspire to create a game that players can take pride in. Regrettably, they must dedicate substantial time to matters not directly related to game development due to this lawsuit.

In the end, they apologized to their fans for “any worry or discomfort that this news has caused.”

It’s intriguing to consider how this situation might unfold, drawing parallels with the Universal City Studios vs. Nintendo dispute from 1983. In that case, Universal claimed Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong trademark, but Nintendo emerged victorious. Might PocketPair leverage this historical precedent, suggesting they’re engaged in a similar struggle?

On one hand, while these situations share no similarities, they’ve evolved significantly over time due to changes in copyright law. And just so you know, although I’ve invested more hours playing Phoenix Wright than observing real courtrooms, I’m not claiming to be an expert on the subject matter.

On Wednesday, the 19th of September, I found myself bringing a case to the Tokyo District Court, where Nintendo is seeking both an injunction and fair compensation for any damages that have been sustained.

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2024-09-19 17:38