- Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are alleging patent infringement by Pocketpair
- Palworld was nicknamed ‘Pokemon with guns’ when it was released earlier this year
- Pocketpair has responded denying knowledge of any patents infringed
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are suing Pocketpair, the maker of Palworld, over alleged patent infringement.
Pokemon with guns
Palworld launched earlier this year and was quickly nicknamed ‘Pokemon with guns’ by gamers, who saw similarities between the game and the well-established cartoon, video game and trading card franchise.
Back then, The Pokemon Company said it would investigate the copycat claims, and it appears they believe they have a case against Pocketpair.
Palworld has been a huge hit with gamers since it was released, gaining more than 25 million players within a month. The game centres on collecting creatures with different powers and then travelling around a map fighting battles with them. The creatures can also be used to work at a players base and craft supplies to be used in the field.
In a joint statement, posted on their websites, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company say they have filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court. It seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld infringes multiple patent rights.
Unaware
In response, Pocketpair has released a statement that acknowledges the lawsuit but says “at this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details.
“It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit. However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas.”
The statement also contained an apology to players who are concerned about the future of the game. Pocketpair has also said it will continue to update the game.
