Nintendo and Palworld: patent dispute over Pokémon capture mechanics
Palworld vs. Nintendo: The "Deadly Patent" Battle
With the lawsuit filed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company against Pocketpair, the gaming world is buzzing. Palworld developers claim they have no idea which patents they are accused of infringing. Analysts, however, believe they have identified the critical patent Nintendo plans to use to win the case.
The "Deadly Patent"
Kiyoshi Kurihara, a Japanese intellectual property lawyer, discussed the issue with Yahoo Japan. He pointed out the "deadly patent" that could spell trouble for Pocketpair: the core mechanic of capturing creatures, akin to Pokémon's gameplay.
"When creating a game inspired by Pokémon, avoiding this aspect is challenging. Even with the best intentions, it's easy to violate this patent if you're not careful," Kurihara stated.
Palworld's Gameplay
Palworld's survival and crafting mechanics resemble Ark more than Pokémon. Early accusations of plagiarism focused on the design similarities between some Pals and well-known Pokémon. However, Nintendo's lawsuit targets patent infringement, not copyright violation.
Key Points
- Palworld uses a capture mechanism similar to Pokémon.
- Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed four divisional patent applications after Palworld's launch.
- The main problematic patent is No. 7545191.
This patent describes targeting a character with a capture object (Poké Ball). If the capture is successful, the creature's status changes to "belongs to the player." This mechanism also includes capture rates indicated by colors, graphics, or numbers.
Legal Implications
Palworld uses a similar mechanism with "Pal Spheres" to capture monsters. This similarity makes the patent a potential key to the lawsuit. The divisional patents were approved in August, which may explain the delay in Nintendo's legal action.
The parent patent was registered in December 2021, making it legally valid against Palworld, released in January 2024. While these are still speculations, Nintendo has not officially revealed the patents Pocketpair allegedly violated.
Pocketpair's Response
Pocketpair stated they would reluctantly investigate the patent infringement allegations while continuing to update their game. They apologized to players concerned about the game's future.
Palworld launched on Steam and Gamepass earlier this year, breaking numerous records in sales and concurrent players. Pocketpair's CEO, Takuro Mizobe, mentioned they struggled to manage the massive profits initially.
Future Developments
Pocketpair later struck a deal with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, aiming to expand the brand through merchandise. Rumors suggest Palworld might be announced for PlayStation during the Tokyo Game Show.
We will see if the lawsuit impacts Palworld and Pocketpair's expansion plans. Stay tuned for updates!
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