The moment Palworld was revealed to the world, there was one thing that stood out like a sore thumb. This was the uncanny resemblance that plenty of Pals in the game shared with one of the biggest franchises ever created. But that did not stop Pocketpair’s survival title one bit, as it took gamers by storm, and it seems like every other person is currently playing Palworld, which now has a player base of millions.
Knowing Nintendo’s previous track record, things may not sail this smoothly for Palworld in the near future since The Pokémon Company has taken note of its assets potentially being used.
Some Japanese Celebrities Are Reportedly Not Allowed to Talk About Palworld
Nintendo is a company that takes the threat of copyright infringement very seriously, and it does not come slow in retaliation when it believes it has a strong enough case. However, as of now, there is nothing too substantial that can be presented against Palworld‘s potential use of Pokémon‘s assets, so although Pocketpair is treading on some dangerous territory, it does not seem to be too worried about its or the game’s future.
In a new, unsurprising development, there have recently been reports of various Japanese celebrities not being allowed to talk about anything related to the monster-taming title that has become a global phenomenon.
If these reports are indeed true, then it is obviously clear that the multimedia giant franchise sees a relatively smaller game as a worthy competitor. Not many people want to end up on the bad side of a massive corporation like Nintendo, so these Japanese celebrities are probably making sure not to even accidentally mention Pocketpair’s game to avoid probable backlash from The Pokémon Company.
This falls perfectly in line with yet another recent update, during which TPC officially stated that it has been made aware of its IP’s assets being potentially infringed and that it is looking into the matter quite deeply.
This latest update in the Palworld vs. Pokémon controversy was reported by Tokyo Sports, and the publication stated that it has an inside source working at a talent agency who explained the ongoing situation in Japan. The individuals working on the entertainment side of things at the agency have been specifically told not to give any unnecessary press to Pocketpair’s game by talking about it.
According to the source, the agency has instructed its “talent not to mention Palworld on social media or in public.”
Despite All the Potential Setbacks, There Seems to Be No Stopping Pocketpair’s Video Game
With its early access launch a couple of weeks ago on January 19, the survival title continues to cement its stronghold on the monster-taming video game genre, as it turned out to be such a surprise hit no one was really expecting. Pocketpair’s title has already crossed eight million copies on Steam with millions of concurrent players, as it keeps breaking all sorts of records that were previously thought to be unbreakable.
One thing is extremely clear due to its success, though: The Pokémon Company has to actually start putting in more effort into its iconic franchise before it falls more victim to a newer and fresher counterpart.
Not even a full week after Palworld‘s early access release, TPC made an official comment regarding the situation, stating that it does “not authorize any use of” its IP. Which means that Nintendo sees Pocketpair as a potential threat that has to be taken care of before it gets any bigger, and according to recent trends, there seems to be no stopping Palworld.
The IP owners “intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the” multimedia franchise.
Until that happens, fans seem to be absolutely loving Pocketpair’s game and all that it has to offer. Are you team Pocketpair or team TPC? Let us know in the comments below!
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