SAN FRANCISCO: On January 25th, The Pokemon Company issued a warning stating their intention to look into allegations that the newly released and highly popular video game, Palworld, may be infringing upon the intellectual property rights of their renowned franchise.
Often compared to "Pokemon with Guns" since its debut last week, Palworld's creators announced that the game sold over eight million copies in under a week.
Launched on the Steam online platform, Palworld combines armed player characters with creatures bearing striking resemblances to those found in the immensely successful Pokemon franchise, which is partially owned by Nintendo.
"We have been inundated with queries pertaining to a game released by another company in January 2024," stated The Pokemon Company in an official announcement.
"We have not authorized the utilization of Pokemon's intellectual property or assets in any such game," the statement further clarified, without explicitly mentioning Palworld.
The Pokemon Company declared its intention to "examine and undertake necessary actions to address any violations of intellectual property rights pertaining to Pokemon."
Currently, Palworld is in its early-access stage and is undergoing continuous development, incorporating feedback from its players, as stated by its Japan-based creators, PocketPair, while describing their newest offering.
According to its developers, the game features over 100 distinct characters, referred to as "Pals," which players can capture and recruit as companions for their in-game exploits.
As the popularity of the game surged, certain individuals on social media platforms accused PocketPair of plagiarizing elements from Pokemon, sharing side-by-side comparisons of strikingly alike characters and game features.
Takuro Mizobe, the CEO of PocketPair, stated that the studio has been "subjected to malicious remarks targeting our artists, and we've even come across tweets that seem to be threatening our lives." - AFP