[KOMENTAR] Palworld protiv Nintenda: Zašto ova tužba šteti indie igrama

It was impossible to overlook the launch of Palworld back in January 2024 on Steam. This survival game let you catch, ride, and yes, arm adorable creatures with guns, blending Pokémon and Grand Theft Auto. By mid-2024, Pocketpair’s indie hit had drawn over 25 million players, becoming a global sensation. But in September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, alleging Palworld violated their intellectual property. I see this lawsuit as a major threat to creativity in the gaming industry, particularly for small studios with big dreams.

Palworld isn’t a Pokémon clone, no matter how much the “Pokémon with guns” meme stuck. Sure, you catch creatures with Pal Spheres, and some Pals look a bit like Pokémon, but the gameplay, open-world survival and base-building, leans closer to Ark: Survival Evolved than Pokémon. Pocketpair’s CEO, Takuro Mizobe, told Automaton in January 2024 that the game cleared legal reviews, and they had “no intention” of infringing on anyone’s IP.

Yet Nintendo’s lawsuit, filed in Tokyo District Court, doesn’t target character designs or copyright. It’s about patents, specifically, game mechanics like throwing a ball to catch creatures or riding them. That’s where things get scary. If Nintendo can patent something as broad as “catching a creature in an open world”, what’s stopping them from locking down other basic mechanics? It’s like patenting jumping in a platformer.

Why Studios Like Pocketpair Face an Uphill Battle

This isn’t just about Palworld. It’s about what this means for indie developers everywhere. Small studios like Pocketpair, with limited budgets and teams, don’t have the resources to fight a giant like Nintendo, who’s got a war chest and a reputation for winning lawsuits. This feels like Nintendo is flexing to remind everyone they’re the boss, not because Palworld was a real threat to their profits. It’s a message to indies: innovate, but not too close to our turf.

Worse, this could scare other indie devs from taking risks. It’s a warning that broad patents like Nintendo’s could make developers “hesitant to iterate on ideas”, and I can’t help but agree. Look at Stardew Valley, it built on Harvest Moon’s formula and became a classic. If Nintendo’s logic applied back then, would Eric Barone have dared to make it?

Nintendo does have the right to protect their IP, and Pokémon is a cultural giant. But their approach feels heavy-handed. They’ve got a history of aggressive legal moves, from shutting down fan projects to suing emulator devs. Palworld’s success, 12 million copies in a month, might’ve bruised their ego, especially when fans on said it outdid Pokémon in ways fans wanted.

Instead of innovating to compete, Nintendo’s leaning on patents filed in 2024, post-Palworld’s launch, which might not even hold up if Pocketpair can prove prior development. It feels less like protecting art and more like gatekeeping mechanics that aren’t unique to Pokémon – Final Fantasy XIV and Monster Hunter have similar capture systems, as Pocketpair argued in court.

Can Palworld’s Legal Fight Save Indie Freedom?

If Nintendo wins, it could set a precedent that lets big publishers patent basic gameplay ideas. Imagine EA patenting first-person shooting or Tencent locking down battle royales. Indies, who rely on tweaking genres to stand out, would be screwed. Nintendo’s patents cover “universal mechanics” like aiming at a character or riding a mount. That’s not innovation, it’s claiming ownership of ideas as old as gaming itself. Stifling that kind of evolution hurts players too, we’d miss out on games that push boundaries because devs are too scared to try.

I’m not saying Palworld is perfect. Some Pals do look suspiciously like Pokémon, and Pocketpair’s past flirtations with AI-generated designs, raised eyebrows. But the lawsuit isn’t about art, it’s about mechanics, and that’s where Nintendo’s overreach stings. This case could reshape gaming, and not for the better. If indies can’t build on existing ideas without fear of a lawsuit, we’ll get a safer, blander industry.

There’s hope, though. Pocketpair’s fighting back, citing games like Tomb Raider and Monster Hunter to argue their mechanics aren’t exclusive, and experts like Florian Mueller said the patents might not hold up outside Japan. A win for Pocketpair could help indies, setting a precedent for creative freedom. For now, I’m rooting for Palworld to keep its spirit intact and for Nintendo to rethink this fight. Palworld dared to dream big, and I don’t want a lawsuit to tell devs that’s a crime.