HIGHLIGHTS
- Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, alleging infringement of patent rights.
- Lawsuit against Palworld sparked comparisons between Pokémon and Dragon Quest, with fans noting similarities in creature designs.
- Pocketpair has responded by stating they are not fully aware of the specific patents they are accused of infringing and will continue to update Palworld.
Palworld is an open-world survival game where players catch, train, and battle Pals while exploring, and surviving an open world.
Initially released in January 2024, it is an indie game featuring unique Pals, equipped with different skills to enhance the player’s experience.
The game, developed by Pocketpair, has recently gained attention after Nintendo filed a lawsuit against them.
Nintendo Files Lawsuit Against Palworld
Palworld gained traction from its initial release, even reaching the #2 spot for concurrent players on Steam.
Nicknamed “Pokémon with guns,” Palworld caught fans’ attention for its similarities to Pokémon.
Both games are center around collecting strange creatures with different powers, training, and battling them.
The Pokémon Company said it would investigate the copycat claims just days after it released the game in January.
On September 18, the company filed a case with the Tokyo District Court seeking an injunction and compensation.
The lawsuit has been filed for the ‘Infringement of Patent Rights’ against Pocketpair.
Nintendo w/ The Pokemon Company have filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Pocketpair Inc.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 18, 2024
This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the… pic.twitter.com/5BAt6Q7a35
Nintendo confirms it will continue to take action against infringements in the future to “protect the intellectual properties” the company established over the years.
Fans Compare Pokémon To Dragon Quest Amidst Palworld Controversy
After the lawsuit against Pocketpair, many fans have started to compare Pokémon with Dragon Quest.
Before Pokémon was released, Dragon Quest, formerly known as ‘Dragon Worrier,’ introduced monster-taming to the franchise for the first time.
Many players argue that several Pokémon resemble monsters from Dragon Quest and accuse Nintendo of borrowing character designs.
This may be because Akira Toriyama, the artist behind Dragon Quest, was responsible for many classic Pokémon designs.
This raises the question of whether the lawsuit against Palworld is justified, given that Pokémon itself drew significant inspiration from Dragon Quest for many character designs.
Palworld Developer Pocketpair Responds to Nintendo Pokémon Lawsuit
The developers claim they do not know which specific patents they are accused of infringing and have not received any notification about these details.
Pocketpair said they will look into the patent infringement claims but will keep updating Palworld despite the lawsuit.
Furthermore, they apologized to their fans and supporters for any worry or discomfort that this news has caused.
