Summary

  • Nintendo is suing Palworld developer Pocketpair for infringing on "multiple patent rights", seemingly the Pokeball.
  • Pocketpair has chosen to fight the suit, and publisher Krafton even has a new Palworld game in development.
  • We don't know much about this spin-off yet other than the fact it's a mobile game in development by PUBG Studios.

Last month, Nintendo announced that it's suing Palworld developer Pocketpair for infringing on "multiple patent rights". In response, the PS5 port was indefinitely delayed in Japan, and a lawyer claimed that Palworld may even have to rework its game mechanics if Nintendo wins.

However, Pocketpair isn't dissuaded and is instead fighting the suit "to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursung their creative ideas", while publisher Krafton just announced that it has a new Palworld game in development.

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As reported by PCGamesN, PUBG Studios is developing a mobile spin-off based on Pocketpair's game. We don't know much about it yet, whether it'll be a survival sandbox akin to Palworld itself or something else entirely, but it's interesting nonetheless that Krafton isn't dissuaded by the IP even amidst Nintendo's lawsuit.

Analysts Aren't Optimistic About Pocketpair's Chances

Despite pushing on with a new game and a shadowdropped PS5 port, analyst Serkan Toto said that he believes things will "end bad for Pocketpair".

"Nintendo is famously protective of its IP, and they have a very, very strong legal team that is feared in the Japanese gaming industry," Toto expalined. "You don't want to make Nintendo angry. Nintendo wanted to be absolutely thorough. They didn't want to shoot from the hip."

He believes that Nintendo waited so long to file the lawsuit because it wanted an iron-clad case, which may be why it focused on patent infringement rather than copyright. We don't know what the patent infringements are yet, but they seemingly refer to catching 'mons with a Pokeball, which is why lawyers believe that Palworld may have to change how you catch its creatures. If the mobile game uses similar mechanics, it might also need to undergo an overhaul before release.

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Palworld

Open-World Shooter Survival Systems 11 7.8/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 71/100 Critics Rec: 58% Released January 19, 2024 ESRB T For Teen Due To Violence Developer(s) Pocket Pair, Inc. Publisher(s) Pocket Pair, Inc. Engine Unreal Engine 5
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Palworld has been described as Pokemon with guns and well, it's hard to argue with that. The game is very similar in nature to the Pokemon formula, tasking you with catching and working with monsters called Pals. There are key differences, though. Palworld is rooted in multiplayer, oh, and, unlike Pokemon, its Pals have guns.

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