• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Nintendo is suing Palworld devs

Bashtee

Member
Here's the patent
Here is what my lawyer (ChatGPT :messenger_blowing_kiss:) has to say:
The mechanics in *Palworld*—which involve capturing creatures, battling, and using them for tasks—don't seem to directly infringe on the patent described. The patent specifically focuses on the switch between two modes (catching and battling) and using items strategically in those contexts. *Palworld* allows battles and capturing, but the mechanics aren't as structured in the same mode-switching framework. However, there are similarities in using items and creatures in strategic ways, so a thorough comparison by a legal expert would be advisable to ensure there's no infringement.
I'm interested to see how this pans out, and I hope Nintendo loses. Not because I despise Nintendo and their practices (which I do), but because I find patents on game mechanics to be bullshit.
 

Midn1ght

Member
Whats next? Suing Sony for making a platformer? Lol
Jack Nicholson Yes GIF
 

Chechack

Member
Feel like this is gonna backfire Nintendo this time once they show both game in comparision judges will realise how mechanicly inadept pokemon games are
 

ADiTAR

ידע זה כוח
I highly doubt Nintendo waited a year for this to lose. If they are going for it it means they built a case.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
This gonna be a fun case. It basically gonna involve any monster or creature as stealing if end up being true, because not even Pokemon itself has originality with their own as some of their monsters resemble alot other franchises(DQ comes to mind).

I don't think that's what they're suing for, monster designs would fall under copyright rather than patents I'm pretty sure. Parents are for how things work, etc. So maybe more the game mechanics, like throwing balls to catch monsters and such.
 

Astray

Member
People laughed at me when I said Nintendo suing was a certainty and they were just biding their time.

I'd have to guess that the Palworld company thing with Sony Music was made in part to protect against stuff like this. Sony Music is a major conglomerate in Japan and will likely have its own vast legal resources that will help Pocketpair with this.
 

daxgame

Member
A bit surprised about this as I thought they would've either done it months ago or never.
Also don't think it will be that easy to win this case.

Waste of time for all parts all around imho.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
I thought the GAF lawyers told me this wasn't possible because Pokémon also copies things?

People forget that Nintendo have money, and unfortunately that's what can win lawsuits. Let's be clear though, some of those Pals are pretty blatant rip-offs. Imagine Nintendo have waited this long because they've been building a case.

Not a particularly cool move on Nintendo's part but there's no way the Palworld devs can't have envisioned a scenario where this happens once they blew up.
 

Astray

Member
I thought the GAF lawyers told me this wasn't possible because Pokémon also copies things?

People forget that Nintendo have money, and unfortunately that's what can win lawsuits. Let's be clear though, some of those Pals are pretty blatant rip-offs. Imagine Nintendo have waited this long because they've been building a case.

Not a particularly cool move on Nintendo's part but there's no way the Palworld devs can't have envisioned a scenario where this happens once they blew up.
The lawsuit is about patent infringement, not copyrights.

This is going to be about specific gameplay elements.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
The lawsuit is about patent infringement, not copyrights.

This is going to be about specific gameplay elements.

Only just woke up to the news and I haven't even really played the game for longer than about 10 minutes, just making a point that it was always a blatant rip-off hence it inspired all these discussions to begin with. So I wouldn't be surprised to hear that specific gameplay elements are also on the table. Apparently it's Nintendo pushing hard "on behalf" of The Pokémon Company or something right? i.e. lining their pockets as much as they need to.
 

Mayar

Member
Here some people miss one awkward moment. In fact, the irony of the situation is that Nintendo does not need to win the case, they can drag this case out in court for as long as they need until the developers of Pallword simply run out of resources, and they will run out of them much faster than Nintendo.
 

laynelane

Member
Only just woke up to the news and I haven't even really played the game for longer than about 10 minutes, just making a point that it was always a blatant rip-off hence it inspired all these discussions to begin with. So I wouldn't be surprised to hear that specific gameplay elements are also on the table. Apparently it's Nintendo pushing hard "on behalf" of The Pokémon Company or something right? i.e. lining their pockets as much as they need to.

The Pokemon Company is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc. I suppose then, in practice, this means there's more than one party suing the Palworld devs.
 

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Here some people miss one awkward moment. In fact, the irony of the situation is that Nintendo does not need to win the case, they can drag this case out in court for as long as they need until the developers of Pallword simply run out of resources, and they will run out of them much faster than Nintendo.
Palworld devs should be loaded after the success of the game.
 

Tsaki

Member
This will be interesting, as they're no longer up against smaller opponents. PocketPair has accumulated enough resources to afford the same caliber of law firms as Nintendo, so it should be a fair fight now. The outcome will be intriguing, to say the least.

The only immediate downside could be a delay in the PlayStation version of the game—hopefully that won’t happen.
 

Mayar

Member
Palworld devs should be loaded after the success of the game.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. I think it will end up as usual with a settlement before going to court, most likely they will pay or do what Nintendo wants and the case will be closed. Going to court against Nintendo is suicide for almost any company.
 

killatopak

Gold Member
I wouldn't be so sure about that. I think it will end up as usual with a settlement before going to court, most likely they will pay or do what Nintendo wants and the case will be closed. Going to court against Nintendo is suicide for almost any company.
didn't some earlier post here mention palworld actually countersued nintendo and basically just copy pasted their statement?

I dunno about settlement if that's on the table.
 

GymWolf

Gold Member
hysterical-laughter.gif

better in what aspect?
Not looking like a turd and having some sort of challenge for start, also the monsters are more involved, they don't just stay in the pokeball, you can use them for other stuff.
The character progression was also much better, a lot of things to unlock.

They are not exactly the same genre, palworld has some survival aspects but i just had more fun with palworld than the last pokemon game i tried.
 
Last edited:

Mayar

Member
didn't some earlier post here mention palworld actually countersued nintendo and basically just copy pasted their statement?

I dunno about settlement if that's on the table.
I haven't heard anything about it, Nintendo has never been sued before, as far as I know. Plus another point that many people miss, Nintendo's lawyers are not stupid and if they prepared a case for court, it means they are confident that they can win it or at least drag it out for many years.
 

Exede

Member
It's normal to sue to protect your IP. You actually HAVE to do it. Win or not is kinda not important but you need to show that you're willing to protect the IP from my limited understanding.
 

killatopak

Gold Member
I haven't heard anything about it, Nintendo has never been sued before, as far as I know. Plus another point that many people miss, Nintendo's lawyers are not stupid and if they prepared a case for court, it means they are confident that they can win it or at least drag it out for many years.
All my knowledge about Nintendo court procedings are taken from this thread so take it with a grain of salt.

There's a post a few pages back saying they did lose quite a few times. Most recent being the Wiimote lawsuit which they were the initiator so confident or not, they can still fail.
 
Top Bottom