Nintendo has officially filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair, the developer of the popular game Palworld. But this isn’t your typical copyright dispute. Instead, Nintendo claims Pocketpair has violated one of its game patents, specifically a patent related to the iconic Pokeball and its mechanics. While Nintendo hasn’t explicitly stated which patent is in question, evidence points to a patent filed in 2022 for a storage and animation system related to throwing a ball-like object to capture characters in a game. The patent, published in the U.S. and Japan, describes how a character throws a sphere to capture an enemy. It emphasizes the animation and mechanics of the capture system, which seem strikingly similar to Palworld’s ‘pal sphere’ system.
In Palworld, players capture creatures called ‘pals’ using a sphere. The animations and mechanics for capturing pals in Palworld are quite similar to how a character would catch a Pokemon with a Pokeball in Nintendo’s games. The patent emphasizes the ‘catch’ mechanic, outlining various techniques and animations for capturing in-game creatures with the sphere. Interestingly, even the official Palworld website acknowledges the sphere’s use in capturing, stating, “The process of capturing Pals involves strategically throwing a sphere, with a higher likelihood of success when weakening the target.”
While it’s still early to determine the outcome of the lawsuit, Japanese games analyst Dr. Serkan Toto believes that Nintendo’s track record of winning lawsuits makes Pocketpair’s chances of winning slim. Dr. Toto believes that Nintendo wouldn’t have filed the lawsuit unless they were extremely confident in their case, citing their meticulous preparation and history of successful legal battles. Nintendo has maintained that they have thoroughly investigated their claims, while Pocketpair has stated they are unsure which patents they are alleged to have violated.
The lawsuit has created a buzz within the gaming community, particularly in Japan, where the suit is being filed. Palworld recently launched on Playstation 5 in various regions, including Japan, adding another layer of intrigue to the legal battle. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for both companies, impacting the future of Palworld and setting a precedent for how game mechanics are protected by patents.
