Some game companies are stricter than others, and it’s become a running gag in the gaming space that Nintendo will be guaranteed to defend itself whenever it sees someone using its IP without permission.
The Pokemon Company has been going up against Palworld for a while, with a lot saying that Palworld blatantly ripped the brand off, but as it turns out, that wasn’t the only Pokemon ripoff that the company was concerned with.
The Pokemon Company Wins $15 Million Lawsuit
According to a report from GamesBiz (via IGN), the Pokemon company has won a $15 million (or, more specifically, 107 million Chinese yuan) lawsuit against Pocket Monster Reissue, also known as Koudaiyaoguai Fuke. This turn-based role-playing mobile game featured original Pokemon characters like Pikachu and Ash Ketchum.
The game launched in 2015 and became popular. According to The Pokemon Company, the ripoff game earned around $42 million in profits in a year.
The game featured some unaltered artwork from the original Pokemon, and you can check out some of the gameplay here:
Any Pokemon fan will immediately recognize all the familiar characters, from Ash to Professor Oak; the game didn’t even do anything to change the starter Pokemon’s appearance, and they’re still made to choose between Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.
Looking at the comments on the sample video, fans weren’t surprised that the game would eventually be sued for copyright infringement. At least Palworld designed some original characters and added some more original gameplay elements, which is why it’s harder for The Pokemon Company to shut them down.
The Pokemon Company and the Fandom
When it comes to a brand like Pokemon, the company’s official stance is that they don’t seek out fan projects to shut down, and they only do so when they’ve “crossed a certain line.”
Regardless, the Pokemon Company was said to have pursued multiple fan-passion projects, such as a build-your-own Pokemon game creator and a project called Pokemon Uranium that was said to have been almost a decade in development.
If anything, the line is probably drawn at the point where a project seeks to earn some money, and The Pokemon Company doesn’t see any of it coming their way.
Pokemon is very loyal to its success formula, so it isn’t surprising that the IP owners were protective of how others portray the brand.
Pokemon with Guns
Though The Pokemon Company may have won this round, many people still look at Palworld and marvel at how the game has survived for a year without being shut down.
If anything, the aesthetics and the core mechanics are all drawn from Pokemon, but even the company’s legal department admits that they haven’t gotten a solid case for any copyright infringement being committed.
Fans are happy that Palworld offers a unique new take on a familiar brand.
Palworld is now playable for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.