Why are Nintendo and The Pokémon Company suing the ‘Palworld’ developer?

Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have launched a lawsuit against Pocketpair, the creators of the viral sensation Palworld. Filed in Tokyo District Court, the suit alleges that Palworld infringes on multiple patents related to the Pokémon franchise.

Palworld, which exploded onto the scene in January, has been dubbed “Pokémon with guns” by players. The game’s premise is eerily familiar. Players catch cute creatures and use them for various tasks, including construction and combat. The key difference? These creatures aren’t just fighting each other with spells and lightning bolts but they’ve fully embraced modern warfare, complete with the most OP artillery. I honestly sometimes wonder if they were secretly funded by the US government.

What’s going on between Nintendo and Palworld creators?

However, I think anyone without a visual impairment would struggle to not see the similarities between Palworld and Pokémon. Palworld’s catchable companions, known as “Pals”, are captured using “Palspheres” after being weakened in battle. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s practically a carbon copy of Pokémon’s core gameplay loop. Some players have even pointed out specific Pals that bear striking resemblances to well-known Pokémon. Take Sparkit, for example, an electricity-based yellow creature that looks suspiciously like Pikachu’s long lost cousin.

What sets Palworld apart from other Pokémon-inspired games is its massive success. The game sold an eye-watering 7 million copies in just five days, generating an estimated $189 million in Steam sales alone. It’s even climbed to the third spot on Steam’s most-played games of all time list. With numbers like these, it’s not hard to see why Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are taking notice and slightly salty.

Interestingly, Pocketpair claims to be in the dark about the specific patents they’re accused of violating. In a statement, the company expressed surprise at their game’s success and bemoaned the time they’ll now have to spend dealing with legal matters instead of improving Palworld. This response raises questions about the due diligence performed before the game’s release.

This isn’t The Pokémon Company’s first rodeo when it comes to protecting its intellectual property. Earlier this year, they ordered the takedown of a mod that replaced Palworld’s creatures with actual Pokémon. This suggests that the company has been keeping a watchful eye on Palworld’s development and reception from the start.

Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe has previously insisted that Palworld underwent legal reviews and that they had “absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies”. However, given the obvious similarities and Nintendo’s notorious reputation for fiercely guarding its IPs, it’s difficult to imagine this case being resolved without significant legal battles.

The gaming community is now left wondering about the future of Palworld and whether an indie developer can withstand the legal onslaught from two of the biggest names in gaming. It’s clear Nintendo and Pokémon want to send a message to its competitors, so the outcome of this case could have significant implications for game development, particularly for indies inspired by established franchises.