When thinking of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns," a label that has stuck since the game's rise to fame in 2021. This shorthand, while catchy and easy to understand, was never the intention of the developers at Pocketpair. According to John 'Bucky' Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager at Pocketpair, the team isn't thrilled with this moniker. During a talk at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley explained that Palworld was initially revealed to a Japanese audience at the Indie Live Expo in June 2021, where it received a warm reception. However, Western media quickly branded it as "Pokemon with guns," a label that has persisted despite efforts to move away from it.
In an interview following his talk, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was never part of the original pitch for Palworld. The development team, composed of fans of various games, drew more inspiration from ARK: Survival Evolved. Their previous game, Craftopia, also reflected some of ARK's elements that they admired. The goal was to create a game similar to ARK but with a greater emphasis on automation and unique creature abilities, making each creature feel special and distinct.
Despite the team's reservations, Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute significantly to Palworld's success. He mentioned that Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," which further fueled the game's visibility. While Buckley is fine with people using the phrase casually, he expressed frustration that some believe it accurately describes the game without playing it first. He emphasized that Palworld is not even remotely like Pokemon in gameplay and encouraged players to give it a chance before forming an opinion.
Buckley also dismissed the idea that Pokemon is a direct competitor to Palworld, suggesting that the audiences for the two games don't significantly overlap. Instead, he sees ARK as a closer parallel, though he doesn't believe Palworld is in direct competition with any specific game. He critiqued the concept of "console wars" and competition in gaming, viewing it as a manufactured marketing strategy. With the sheer number of games available, he argued that competition is more about timing than direct rivalry, even citing the example of a significant portion of Palworld players also purchasing Helldivers 2.
If Buckley had his way, he would have preferred a different tagline for Palworld, something like "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While he admits this doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as "Pokemon with guns," it better reflects the game's true nature and inspirations.
In our interview, Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld to come to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full discussion for further insights into the game and its future.
