Palworld enthusiasts have rallied in support of developer Pocketpair, who is now facing a lawsuit from the notoriously litigious Nintendo.
The moment apprehended by many has arrived. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have joined forces to file a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld.
Since its debut, affectionately referred to by fans as ‘Pokemon with guns’, Palworld has confronted accusations of plagiarizing Pokemon designs. While it’s true that certain Pals bear notable resemblances to Pokemon, Nintendo’s initial response was limited, leaving Pocketpair in the dark for an extended period.
This changed on September 18, 2024, when Nintendo and The Pokemon Company finally initiated legal action. Players of Palworld were quick to express their dismay at this decision by Nintendo.
Nintendo and Pokemon Company have filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair Inc., the creators of Palworld, in Tokyo, Japan. The lawsuit claims Palworld infringed on multiple Pokémon patents and seeks damages pic.twitter.com/8ZHvbisrKQ
— dexerto (@dexerto) September 18, 2024
It’s peculiar to label what once was Steam’s second-most played game as ‘the little guy’, but in the face of the billion-dollar giants Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, Palworld certainly fits that description. This sentiment resonates with many fans of Pocketpair’s interpretation of monster taming, who perceive this as Nintendo’s way of punching down.
“Gamefreak puts out consistent slop for a decade. Palworld embarrasses them, Nintendo wastes money suing Palworld instead of utilizing the billions earned by Pokemon to create better games,” voiced one player on X. “Yeah Nintendo is washed, Palworld is more enjoyable than any Pokemon game on the Switch,” another user concurred.
Numerous comments reflect these sentiments, referencing the troubled launch of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which was riddled with bugs. In a Reddit discussion that has since had its comments disabled, fans of Palworld criticized Nintendo for what they viewed as a “d**k move.”
“Had to ensure Pocketpair actually earned some substantial revenue before swooping in for a free meal,” speculated one Palworld player on Reddit. “Palworld has generated enough income to be considered competition, so [Nintendo] is striking now that they’ve lost a portion of their earnings in hopes of pushing them to bankruptcy,” another user agreed.
Despite the many criticisms aimed at Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, others have pointed out what they claim is “blatant plagiarism” of Pokemon designs in Palworld, serving as justification for the lawsuit.
It’s worth mentioning that the lawsuit itself alleges patent infringement, which typically pertains to software in gaming, rather than character designs. Details regarding the legal proceedings are still limited, and it remains unclear whether Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are addressing Palworld’s characters or something more nuanced.
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