Palworld is facing a lot of possible copyright accusations and violations for taking Nintendo's property. The Pokémon Company has raised questions about this issue - and issued a statement that shows they are taking this matter seriously.
The recent weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster for Palworld and its massive community. The survival game set numerous records while simultaneously facing serious allegations of plagiarism. Now, for the first time, the Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has commented on the matter.
Nintendo President Comments On Copyright Infringement
During the last earnings call, which was primarily focused on revenue forecasts for the current fiscal year, Furukawa was asked about the potential copyright infringements by Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld. His response is similar to the statement previously given by The Pokémon Company, which you can find further down in the article. He stated in general terms:
...the company will take appropriate measures against those that infringe on its intellectual property rights.
Whether Nintendo will actually take action remains to be seen. The discussion surrounding the plagiarism allegations was previously sparked by Twitter users unrelated to the company. One Twitter/X user has stepped into the fray by comparing the 3D models of Pokémon with those of Pals, which led many to believe that Palworld was merely copying from Nintendo's game.
Palworld's And Pokémon's Models In Comparison
The Twitter user named Byo posted several videos comparing the 3D models of characters from both games.
Maybe they're brothers? #Palworld #Pokemon #Lycanroc model from SV. pic.twitter.com/KnGSozfJGQ
— byo (@byofrog) January 21, 2024
Not only did the designs show similarities, but also the framework, meaning the digital skeleton of the characters, seemed to be suspiciously familiar. Many users saw this as evidence supporting the plagiarism allegations.
Shortly after, there were many voices reporting that Byo had admitted to fabricating the results, which was a highly simplified portrayal of the situation. Byo indeed admitted to upscaling the models, in order to compare them with one another, which doesn't mean they tempered with the individual proportions. In a statement to Kotaku they talked about the misinformation.
I didn’t edit the models in a way that would modify their meshes, proportions, or other fundamental features (other than their size in Blender), but I did scale them uniformly. So, for example, I might scale one model up by three-fold in the x, y, and z dimensions to show them at the same scale. The models are all from different games and potentially made in different 3D modeling software suites, so they tend to load in at really different scales.”
Ultimately, none of this is conclusive evidence for anything. Solid evidence can only be uncovered when professional legal experts delve into the matter. These steps would need to be initiated by the copyright holders of Pokémon.
Nintendo had already taken down several videos featuring a Pokémon mod that added original characters from the popular monster-collecting franchise to Palworld. However, the Pokémon Company has spoken up on the matter itself, addressing the Wailord in the room.
"We Will Take Appropriate Action" – The Pokémon Company Seems Not Amused
The Pokémon Company had addressed the potential copyright infringements raised against Pocket Pair, the developers of Palworld in January.
The Pokémon company is a joint venture between Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak and is responsible for managing the trademarks and licenses of Pokémon.
In a statement on their Japanese website, they discuss a game released in January 2024 that has been repeatedly brought to their attention. While not mentioning it by name, it is evident to everyone which game they are referring to.
The statement reads:
We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future.
The fact that they explicitly mention protecting each Pokémon and its environment strongly points to where they stand in regard to Palworld. We can be sure that this story isn't over yet and that a legal battle could potentially ensue. How this ultimately plays out and whether Pocket Pair has indeed followed a watertight approach remains to be seen.