The Pokemon Company issues statement regarding Palworld
The company responsible for Pokemon intends to investigate and take 'appropriate measures' to protect its IP.
Palworld has burst onto the scene and absolutely dominated the competition. It’s skyrocketed up the Steam charts and has garnered a lot of discussion. Some of the chatter has involved comparison to another hugely popular franchise about catching monsters and making them fight for sport. And now, The Pokemon Company has issued a statement about the game.
On January 24, 2024, The Pokemon Company released a statement on its site that addressed the elephant in the room.
Inquiries Regarding Other Companies’ Games
We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.
The Pokémon Company
Though the statement never mentioned Palworlds by name, the message is clear: The Pokemon Company will be looking quite closely to see if Pocketpair has infringed on any intellectual properties or assets.
Source: The Pokemon Company
Outside of cartoony monsters and catching them using balls, there’s little comparison to be made between the two games. In Palworld, players can use the monsters to automate their base, which can all be built using materials in the world. Meanwhile, using these Pals to fight other Pals can get whacky, especially as you equip them with machine guns and other firearms.
The broad appeal of Palworld is testament to the desire for more games that focus on catching monsters and using them in combat or as tools. For a lot of players, they’ve grown disenfranchised with Pokemon titles, especially after the slapdash products delivered over previous years. Shacknews’ review of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet noted the game’s severe performance issues and weak customization options. Even the moderately well-received Pokemon Legends: Arceus had problems of missing abilities, tedious tasks, as well as texture pop-ins and poor framerates.
All of this has ultimately led to The Pokemon Company COO claiming that quality and release schedule talks are happening. But now, with the mindboggling success of Palworld, The Pokemon Company might have to do more than just look at someone else’s game with a magnifying glass. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on this situation.
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replySam Chandler posted a new article, The Pokemon Company issues statement regarding Palworld
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This feels more like addressing the elephant in the room than anything else. I don't think they can legally prove anything.
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Nintendo probably really couldn't lift a finger until the game actually came out and they could investigate possible asset theft directly (atop the Pokemon mod). They would be seen a villian for trying to stop the game's release without hard evidence of such assets, but post-release, now its fair game should there be any.
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