Palworld Devs Reject 'Pokemon With Guns' Label

When you think of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns," a label that has stuck since the game's initial surge in popularity. This phrase, often used as a shorthand to describe the game, likely played a significant role in its rise to fame, thanks to the intriguing combination of two seemingly disparate concepts. Even outlets like IGN have used this description, reflecting its widespread use across the internet.

However, according to John 'Bucky' Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager at Pocketpair, the "Pokemon with guns" moniker was never the intended focus. During a talk at the Game Developers Conference, Buckley expressed that Pocketpair doesn't particularly love this label. He recounted how the game was first revealed in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, receiving a positive response from the local audience. But soon after, Western media branded it as a mix of a "certain franchise" and guns, a tagline that has persisted despite their efforts to move away from it.

In a follow-up interview, Buckley elaborated that Pokemon was never part of the original pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of the game who recognized the similarities in monster collecting, their true inspiration was ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley explained that the team, being avid ARK players, wanted to expand on elements they loved from that game and their previous title, Craftopia. The goal was to create something akin to ARK but with a heavier emphasis on automation and unique, personality-driven creatures.

Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute to Palworld's success. He mentioned that Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," further fueling the game's notoriety. However, he expressed frustration that some people still believe the game is exactly that, without giving it a fair chance.

Interestingly, Buckley doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing minimal audience crossover and pointing to ARK as a more relevant comparison. He also downplayed the notion of competition within the gaming industry, suggesting that it's often exaggerated for marketing purposes. According to him, the real challenge is timing releases amidst the vast number of available games.

If Buckley could have chosen a different viral tagline, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." He admits, though, that it doesn't have the same catchy appeal as "Pokemon with guns."

In our extended interview, Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld on the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full discussion for further insights into the future of Palworld.