Japanese indie studio Pocketpair has been in the spotlight this year with the early access release of Palworld, both from players and from lawyers for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The popular mechanics of catching and fighting monsters, familiar to Pokémon fans, combined with a harsh world and action component, instantly attracted attention, but also led to a patent infringement lawsuit. However, despite the legal obstacles, Pocketpair are determined to defend their unique concept.
During the recent Tokyo Game Show 2024 event, portal journalists www.thegamer.com talked with the developers and discussed the approach to creating Palworld and plans for the development of the game universe. In this article we have collected all the most important information for you.
By creating Palworld, the development team sought to combine several popular gaming genres and offer players something new. The monster-catching elements are reminiscent of the classic genre, but the game also includes elements of survival and action, which gives the adventure a dynamic flavor.
This mix, according to the developers, turned out to be unexpectedly successful: “We were glad that so many players accepted this unusual concept.” The game literally took off the charts, reaching over three million sales in the first two days. At its peak, Palworld had approximately two million concurrent players, although the number of players subsequently stabilized. Pocketpair sees value not in meteoric rise, but in sustainable growth: “We are pleased with the current player base, because Palworld is a game that allows you to enjoy adventures at a comfortable pace.”
One of the main features of Palworld remains its distribution model. Despite rumors about a possible transition to free-to-play, Pocketpair emphasize that this is not in their plans. They wanted to create a rich gaming world that could be immersed in without the pressure of competition or service dependency. “We plan to support the game for many years to come, adding content and updates based on community feedback,” the developers share.
Pocketpair’s plans include long-term support of Palworld, although the studio remains compact, allowing it to flexibly respond to the project’s changing needs.
One of the most talked about announcements at the Tokyo Game Show was the release of Palworld on PlayStation 5. Pocketpair explained that support for PS5 was built in from the very beginning, but the priority was to improve the game on launch platforms. Now they are ready to expand Palworld’s audience in the console market.
At the same time, Pocketpair is looking at different directions to expand the Palworld universe. The studio is currently working with PUBG Studios on a mobile version of the game, which will open up access to Palworld to a huge audience of smartphone players.
As part of a collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment, Palworld Entertainment, Inc. was created to further develop the franchise. In this context, the studio is open to the possibility of adapting Palworld into an animated format, although there are no specific plans for an anime yet. As the developers note, the world and characters of Palworld could fit seamlessly into the animated format, but for now they are focused on expanding the main game and creating new gaming experiences.
Despite Nintendo’s lawsuit, Pocketpair are showing confidence in their position and Palworld’s bright future. The community support that emerged amid the difficulties only strengthened the developers’ determination to continue developing the game and adding new content. They believe that the unique gaming experience that Palworld has brought to an audience of millions has the potential for long-term success.
Inspired by popular mechanics but boldly combining them with elements of survival and action, Palworld remains a shining example of how an indie game can break out by breaking the norm.
