When you think of Palworld, the immediate association might be "Pokemon with guns," a label that has stuck with the game since its initial rise to fame. This shorthand, while catchy and easy to grasp, has been a double-edged sword for its creators at Pocketpair. According to John 'Bucky' Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager at Pocketpair, this was never the intended takeaway. In fact, the team isn't fond of the moniker, a sentiment Buckley shared during a talk at the Game Developers Conference.
Palworld was first revealed to the world in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a warm reception. However, as Western media caught wind of the game, it quickly earned the label of "Pokemon with guns." Despite efforts to distance themselves from this tag, it has remained a persistent association.
In an interview following his talk, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was never part of the initial pitch for Palworld. Instead, the game drew inspiration from ARK: Survival Evolved. The development team, many of whom are fans of ARK, aimed to create a game that expanded on the survival and automation elements of ARK, with creatures that had more personality and unique abilities. The first trailer, however, led to the "Pokemon with guns" label, which Buckley admits they weren't thrilled about but had to accept.
Buckley acknowledges that the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute to Palworld's success. The attention it garnered, including the trademarking of 'Pokemonwithguns.com' by Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive, fueled the game's popularity. However, Buckley is keen to clarify that the game's actual gameplay is far from this simplistic description. He encourages players to give the game a chance before forming an opinion based solely on the label.
Interestingly, Buckley doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing a lack of significant audience crossover. He views ARK as a closer parallel and doesn't believe Palworld is in direct competition with any specific game, not even Helldivers 2, despite a significant overlap in player bases. Buckley critiques the notion of competition in the gaming industry, suggesting it's often manufactured for marketing purposes and that the real challenge is timing releases amidst a crowded market.
If Buckley could have chosen a different viral tagline for Palworld, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While not as catchy, it better reflects the game's true inspirations and mechanics.
In our broader discussion, Buckley also touched on the potential for Palworld to come to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full interview for further insights into the future of Palworld and Pocketpair's vision.
