The Pokémon Company has released a statement addressing allegations that the new survival game Palworld infringes trademark rights of the Nintendo video game series Pokémon. Developer Pocketpair has previously stated that it is not concerned about allegations of plagiarism.
Palworld is a huge success: Millions of fans worldwide are already playing the genre mix of survival crafting and monster collecting on the PC and Xbox. From the start, the game has been described in reports and on social media as a “Pokémon with weapons” - so it is hardly a surprise that accusations of plagiarism have hung over Palworld like the sword of Damocles since its release. Now the Pokémon Company has made a public statement.
“Appropriate measures” against Palword
As the legal owner of the Pokémon series, no permission has been granted for the use of Pokémon's intellectual property or assets in this game. “We intend to investigate and take appropriate action against any acts of intellectual property infringement,” it added.
You don't have to be a gaming expert to see the similarities between Palworld and the games in the Pokémon series. The courts could possibly be concerned with whether that is enough to constitute a trademark violation. The Pokémon Company recently said in a statement that it had "received many inquiries regarding another company's game that was released in January 2024."
It is unclear whether the similarities alone are enough to actually justify an accusation of plagiarism. Pure gameplay mechanics are just as insufficient as visual designs. It remains to be seen whether there will ultimately be a negotiation, as the Pokémon Company has not yet taken legal action. The statement so far only says that the events as a whole have been taken into account. Within the company, Palworld will probably first be evaluated.
In any case, Pocketpair is confident. Before the statement was published, they had already stated that they were not concerned about possible allegations of plagiarism. The game, which fans call “Pokémon with weapons”, contains basic similarities, but the developers assume that it is a unique game due to the expanded gameplay concept. Apparently the danger was recognized early on: Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe stated in an interview that the matter had already been legally examined before publication. According to Mizobe, Palworld is more comparable to Ark: Survival Evolved than Pokémon.
Palworld is available in Early Access for PC and Xbox. The game had already broken its first records on Steam, including overtaking Counter Strike 2 in terms of simultaneously active players. The gaming year 2024 is still young, but it has experienced its first big hype with Palworld.
How do you rate the matter: Is Palworld a plagiarism? Or is it a standalone video game? Write it in the comments below.
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