Palworld Devs Aren't Fans of the 'Pokemon With Guns' Moniker

When you think of Palworld, the immediate association for many is "Pokemon with guns," a label that has followed the game since its initial surge in popularity. This shorthand, though catchy and easy to grasp, doesn't sit well with Pocketpair, the game's developers. In a talk at the Game Developers Conference, John 'Bucky' Buckley, Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, expressed that the team never intended for this to be the game's defining characteristic.

Palworld was first unveiled to the public in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a warm reception. However, when Western media caught wind of it, the "Pokemon with guns" label quickly stuck, overshadowing the game's true inspirations and goals. Buckley clarified in an interview that the development team drew more from ARK: Survival Evolved than from Pokemon. The team, composed largely of ARK enthusiasts, aimed to expand on the survival game's concepts, focusing on automation and unique creature abilities rather than mere monster collecting.

Despite the team's reservations, Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label played a significant role in Palworld's success. The viral nature of the phrase, even leading to the trademarking of 'Pokemonwithguns.com' by Dave Oshry of New Blood Interactive, undoubtedly fueled interest. However, Buckley emphasized that the game's actual gameplay is far removed from this simplistic tagline, urging players to experience it firsthand before forming judgments.

Interestingly, Buckley doesn't view Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing minimal audience overlap and pointing instead to ARK as a more relevant comparison. He also dismissed the notion of intense competition within the gaming industry, suggesting that the concept of "console wars" is more about meta-marketing than genuine rivalry. According to Buckley, the real competition lies in timing game releases amidst a crowded market.

If Buckley had his way, he would have preferred a tagline that better reflected Palworld's unique blend of survival, automation, and creature-centric gameplay. He suggested something like "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends," although he admitted it's not as catchy.

In our extended interview, 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 delve into these topics and more in our full discussion.