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Nintendo and its partner The Pok\u00e9mon Company have filed a legal case against the maker of the hit survival adventure game Palworld over alleged patent infringement.<\/p>\n
Palworld quickly earned the nickname “Pok\u00e9mon with guns” when its first trailer was unveiled in 2021.<\/p>\n
Just days after the game’s release in January this year, The Pok\u00e9mon Company said it would investigate the copycat claims.<\/p>\n
Palworld’s developer, Pocketpair Inc, acknowledged the lawsuit in a statement on Thursday and apologised to fans for “any worry or discomfort” caused.<\/p>\n
Pocketpair’s boss previously said the game had passed legal checks.<\/p>\n
But Nintendo is known for fiercely protecting its intellectual property and brand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Pok\u00e9mon said in statements posted on their websites<\/a> that Palworld “infringes multiple patent rights”.<\/p>\n “This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages”. <\/p>\n Palworld has become a major hit<\/a>, with more than 25 million players within a month of its release.<\/p>\n Like the popular franchise of Pok\u00e9mon video games, it also centres around collecting strange creatures with different powers.<\/p>\n Pocketpair’s website describes the game as seamlessly integrating “elements of battle, monster-capturing, training, and base building.”<\/p>\n Players, known as “pal-tamers”, travel around a large map battling human foes and creatures known as “pals” which can be captured and recruited.<\/p>\n The monsters can either fight alongside the player in battles, or be put to work at a base, crafting supplies and items for use in the field.<\/p>\n In January, The Pok\u00e9mon Company said it planned to investigate claims that Palworld had copied its games<\/a>, after fans pointed out similarities.<\/p>\n The Pok\u00e9mon Company said at the time it would take “appropriate action” if it found its copyright had been breached.<\/p>\n Pocketpair said in <\/b>response to the lawsuit<\/a> <\/b>on Thursday it would begin taking action on and investigating The Pok\u00e9mon Company’s claims.<\/p>\n But it added that it was “unaware” of the specific patents that it had been accused of infringing. <\/p>\n “We have not been notified of such details,” it said.<\/p>\n A Nintendo spokesperson told the BBC it would “refrain from commenting on topics that relate to the content of the lawsuit”.<\/p>\n The company “has a track record of suing organisations and individuals which it feels has infringed upon its IP,” said gaming industry analyst Piers Harding Rolls.<\/p>\n He told the BBC its latest lawsuit “continues this trend” – and reflects the importance of the Pok\u00e9mon franchise to the gaming giant.<\/p>\n “Nintendo is part owner of The Pok\u00e9mon Company and the Pok\u00e9mon franchise, and the series of games are inextricably linked to Nintendo\u2019s console business,” he said.<\/p>\n