September 19th 2024.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have set their sights on Palworld, a game that bears a striking resemblance to the beloved Pokémon franchise. It may have taken some time, but the companies are now suing Palworld and seeking to have it shut down.
Even for those without a legal background, it's clear that Palworld is treading on thin ice with its close similarities to Pokémon. Despite its different gameplay elements focused on survival and base-building, the designs of its so-called "pals" have stirred up quite the commotion with Nintendo's notoriously efficient lawyers.
Just last week, The Pokémon Company, which is partially owned by Nintendo, won a staggering $11 million in damages from mobile games that were blatantly copying Pokémon. Now, with this recent victory under their belt, both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are setting their sights on Palworld.
They've joined forces to go after the game's developer, Pocketpair, for damages and are also seeking an "injunction" - most likely an attempt to get the game shut down - for infringing on multiple patent rights.
The question on everyone's mind is, will Palworld be forced to shut down? The Pokémon Company did release a statement shortly after the game's release, stating that they would investigate and take appropriate measures against any infringement of their intellectual property rights related to Pokémon.
It seems those investigations have now concluded, with a former Nintendo legal boss already dismissing Palworld as "rip-off nonsense" and expressing surprise that it wasn't dealt with more swiftly. On Wednesday night, Nintendo released a brief statement on their website, stating their intent to seek an injunction and compensation for damages against Palworld for infringing on their patent rights.
The game was initially released in January of this year and quickly became one of the most popular video games on Steam, breaking records left and right. Its popularity has since waned, but it still remains within the top 60 games played on PC.
The game was also a hit on Xbox and is expected to be announced for PlayStation 5 at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show. It's unclear if this development or any other specific event prompted the long-awaited lawsuit, but it's possible that the lawyers needed time to prepare - after all, they are known for their success in these types of cases.
So why exactly is Palworld facing this lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company? The game's creator, Takuro Mizobe, has always had a somewhat indifferent attitude towards the possibility of being sued, claiming that he tries to avoid creating new things because it's incredibly difficult. But many fans believe that Mizobe and his team haven't created anything new at all - with some even issuing death threats against Pocketpair - and instead used AI to replicate existing Pokémon designs and combine them to make "new" creatures.
It won't be a challenge for Nintendo to prove that the designs are strikingly similar to Pokémon, but the question remains whether they can succeed in seeking the desired compensation and shutting down the game.
Despite the anticipated PlayStation 5 announcement this month, Pocketpair recently revealed that they have no plans to turn Palworld into a live service game, as it was not originally designed as such - despite its similarities to other existing games like Ark: Survival Evolved and Rust.
It's clear that Palworld's resemblance to Pokémon has sparked controversy and legal action. Is this the end for the game, or will it find a way to survive and thrive in the gaming industry? Only time will tell. In the meantime, fans can stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on social media.
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