Palworld is among the more contentious titles. The game remains popular with players, but a lawsuit from Nintendo accusing the studio of copyright infringement has cast a shadow over its reputation.
Yoshiki Okamoto, a developer formerly at Capcom (Street Fighter II, Resident Evil) and now chairman of the Japan Game Culture Foundation, responded to the situation on his YouTube channel. He said:
“Palworld has crossed a line that should not be crossed, and I don’t want the world to become a place where that’s acceptable.”
He added:
“If a settlement is reached with Nintendo, the game will be legal. But at the moment it is a title embroiled in litigation. By playing it you are effectively supporting that, so please don’t buy it.”
Okamoto stressed that even if Pocketpair wins the dispute, such a verdict could weaken resistance to copyright breaches and open the door for similar projects in the future.
Not all players agree with Okamoto. Some pointed out that he used an altered kanji character for ‘Pocketpair’, which Japanese fans interpreted as an ‘anti-social’ gesture, while others reminded critics that his own games—like Street Fighter II—also “borrowed” elements from competitors.
Okamoto suggested that since Pocketpair appears to be preparing for a full launch of Palworld, the studio may have found a way to resolve the dispute with Nintendo amicably.
Source: iXBT.games