Palworld had to remove game features because of Nintendo lawsuit
Palworld had to remove game features because of Nintendo lawsuit
by theverge
29 Comments
theverge
The ongoing lawsuit between Nintendo and Palworld developer Pocketpair has forced the studio to make some changes to its Pokémon-like game. In a new blog post, Pocketpair explained that a patch in November removed certain gameplay features, and that an upcoming update will cull even more. “We have had to make certain compromises in order to avoid disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld,” the studio says.
This started with a patch on November 30th, which most notably removed the ability to summon creatures by throwing a “Pal Sphere,” which is reminiscent of summoning pokémon with a Poké Ball. The studio adds that other changes were made, without specifying what they were.
Pokemon took the monsters form device idea from Ultraseven’s Capsules Monsters.
It isn’t unique.
They also will remove flying despite that being a standard feature in many games with winged mounts/companions. Maybe they’ll go after Fortnite next?
But they didn’t go after any of the Pals that look like Knockoff redecos with a few bits added to them. Odd.
JardsonJean
>Pocketpair says that the upcoming patch v0.5.5 will change how gliding works, as “gliding will be performed using a glider rather than with Pals.”
You can’t have a game where you glide using your creature? Is that somehow patent protected?
dogaboy12
The fact that we are going to get an inferior experience because of Nintendo actually pisses me off. Actually fuck them if they are going to be like this.
Bmccright01
Unrelated, but this is the first time I’ve seen an entire news site as a Reddit user make a post linking to their news site.
Has this always been a thing??
Another_Road
Obviously they should make it a Pal Hectohedron
Driz51
Gliding on a monster’s back has been a thing in video games for about as long as video games have been a thing. I don’t understand how they could possibly be in trouble for that. Nintendo is trying to set some terrible precedents here.
*You downvote people are nuts. You don’t realize how awful trying to patent these most basic video game mechanics can be? You think Nintendo should be able to say other video games can’t allow you to fly on a creature’s back? Seriously?
pill0wzx
Still a better game than pokemon
THE_GR8_MIKE
A few months back they removed the ability to throw your own pal out. Now they just appear next to you. I hadn’t played for months and this was *immediately* apparent and a massive downgrade upon my return. No more standing up on hills and throwing your pals down to battle. You have to hope they aggro and run down on their own. Maybe they could add a pointing feature or something, but it’s still a downgrade.
Suspicious_Stock3141
Nintendo/TPC is just being a bully at this point, innovate on Pokemon games or Hire a studio that can and maybe you won’t feel so threatened.
but, who am I kidding? TPC literally has no reason to put effort into games anymore since Scarlet and Violet are the second Highest Selling Pokemon Games
augustofretes
Nintendo needs to be stopped. I don’t even like the freaking game, but their patents are a joke and endanger the entire industry.
snailord
I like Palworld, I really do. But you cannot deny that the mechanics and Pal designs borrow from Pokémon to an extreme degree. I’m no lawyer but it doesn’t seem like you can patent an art style or a vibe, so Nintendo is just picking off whatever they possibly can.
Is it super cool that Nintendo is doing this? No. Does that make Nintendo an evil mega corp? Also, no. Should the Palworld devs have tried so incredibly hard to make their creatures look like Pokémon?
I mean, imagine if someone did this to your IP – and added guns and violence on top of it. A franchise that’s known the world over for its appeal to children. I know it’s hard to empathize with a wildly successful company but it is pretty frustrating from their perspective, I’m sure.
It’s not about capturing monsters with balls or gliding. It’s about straight up ripping off their designs and trying to get away with it.
Javasteam
“Riding creatures” was cited by Nintendo as part of their patent?
Give me a break. Domestication of the horse and other animal husbandry predated Nintendo by thousands of years….
robynh00die
I can understand needing to replace Pal Spheres, because the concept of Pokéballs was pretty unique. But bull shit on Nintendo inventing riding around on monsters, that trope is older than video games.
Financial_Exit_7710
Is that fr
gastrodonfan2k07
This seems as an attempt to get rid of compatition more than anything.
An argument can be made from Palworld that their mechanics are improvement upon existing, and thus an improvement exemption/patent could be granted.
Valuable-Way-5464
Fuck Nintendo
animals_y_stuff
Plagiarizing devs have to change their game so that they’re not plagiarizing.
Melonfrog
So you can no longer glide on your Pals. It’s replaced with a glider. What utter rubbish…
BCProgramming
I’m not convinced. This is what the developers have claimed, but it doesn’t make sense.
For example, they apparently changed it so you can’t use pals to glide. They claim this is a result of the lawsuit. This leads people to the conclusion that Nintendo, in some way, has a patent on being able to glide with characters.
It doesn’t appear they do, however. It seems the patent they have is for a mechanism of *switching* between ridable characters automatically based on the terrain. Palworld never did that, though.
The way the changes were made and their very public announcements of why seem more like some sort of public gaslighting specifically to get coverage from “gaming news” websites, and arguably sway public opinion regarding the ongoing lawsuit.
VallahKp
Nintendo greed 1
Gaming industry 0
pleasegivemepatience
I continue to find this situation amusing. Palworld has been making a game as close to Pokémon as they can, so it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve been forced to make changes.
Spunndaze
Stealing is bad.
TheCrach
Nintendo fans when Genshin copies Breath of the Wild:
“Wow, influence is the highest form of flattery!”
Nintendo fans when Palworld adds a fox with a different tail and a gun:
“IP THEFT. CALL THE LAWYERS. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.”
Aggravating_Resort11
Next is Craftopia who copies alot from Legend of Zelda BOTW and the same company! The nerves of steal 😆
29 Comments
The ongoing lawsuit between Nintendo and Palworld developer Pocketpair has forced the studio to make some changes to its Pokémon-like game. In a new blog post, Pocketpair explained that a patch in November removed certain gameplay features, and that an upcoming update will cull even more. “We have had to make certain compromises in order to avoid disruptions to the development and distribution of Palworld,” the studio says.
This started with a patch on November 30th, which most notably removed the ability to summon creatures by throwing a “Pal Sphere,” which is reminiscent of summoning pokémon with a Poké Ball. The studio adds that other changes were made, without specifying what they were.
Read more from Andrew Webster: [https://www.theverge.com/news/663210/palworld-updates-feature-removed-nintendo-lawsuit](https://www.theverge.com/news/663210/palworld-updates-feature-removed-nintendo-lawsuit)
It’s always been about the balls
Pokemon took the monsters form device idea from Ultraseven’s Capsules Monsters.
It isn’t unique.
They also will remove flying despite that being a standard feature in many games with winged mounts/companions. Maybe they’ll go after Fortnite next?
But they didn’t go after any of the Pals that look like Knockoff redecos with a few bits added to them. Odd.
>Pocketpair says that the upcoming patch v0.5.5 will change how gliding works, as “gliding will be performed using a glider rather than with Pals.”
You can’t have a game where you glide using your creature? Is that somehow patent protected?
The fact that we are going to get an inferior experience because of Nintendo actually pisses me off. Actually fuck them if they are going to be like this.
Unrelated, but this is the first time I’ve seen an entire news site as a Reddit user make a post linking to their news site.
Has this always been a thing??
Obviously they should make it a Pal Hectohedron
Gliding on a monster’s back has been a thing in video games for about as long as video games have been a thing. I don’t understand how they could possibly be in trouble for that. Nintendo is trying to set some terrible precedents here.
*You downvote people are nuts. You don’t realize how awful trying to patent these most basic video game mechanics can be? You think Nintendo should be able to say other video games can’t allow you to fly on a creature’s back? Seriously?
Still a better game than pokemon
A few months back they removed the ability to throw your own pal out. Now they just appear next to you. I hadn’t played for months and this was *immediately* apparent and a massive downgrade upon my return. No more standing up on hills and throwing your pals down to battle. You have to hope they aggro and run down on their own. Maybe they could add a pointing feature or something, but it’s still a downgrade.
Nintendo/TPC is just being a bully at this point, innovate on Pokemon games or Hire a studio that can and maybe you won’t feel so threatened.
but, who am I kidding? TPC literally has no reason to put effort into games anymore since Scarlet and Violet are the second Highest Selling Pokemon Games
Nintendo needs to be stopped. I don’t even like the freaking game, but their patents are a joke and endanger the entire industry.
I like Palworld, I really do. But you cannot deny that the mechanics and Pal designs borrow from Pokémon to an extreme degree. I’m no lawyer but it doesn’t seem like you can patent an art style or a vibe, so Nintendo is just picking off whatever they possibly can.
Is it super cool that Nintendo is doing this? No. Does that make Nintendo an evil mega corp? Also, no. Should the Palworld devs have tried so incredibly hard to make their creatures look like Pokémon?
I mean, imagine if someone did this to your IP – and added guns and violence on top of it. A franchise that’s known the world over for its appeal to children. I know it’s hard to empathize with a wildly successful company but it is pretty frustrating from their perspective, I’m sure.
It’s not about capturing monsters with balls or gliding. It’s about straight up ripping off their designs and trying to get away with it.
“Riding creatures” was cited by Nintendo as part of their patent?
Give me a break. Domestication of the horse and other animal husbandry predated Nintendo by thousands of years….
I can understand needing to replace Pal Spheres, because the concept of Pokéballs was pretty unique. But bull shit on Nintendo inventing riding around on monsters, that trope is older than video games.
Is that fr
This seems as an attempt to get rid of compatition more than anything.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barratry_(common_law)
Palworld is a souless piece of trash.
https://preview.redd.it/1ix4yuk1olze1.jpeg?width=586&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e0ca9ec32d265ad4a3af387d50895332dbeafaf2
In case anyone is wondering.
An argument can be made from Palworld that their mechanics are improvement upon existing, and thus an improvement exemption/patent could be granted.
Fuck Nintendo
Plagiarizing devs have to change their game so that they’re not plagiarizing.
So you can no longer glide on your Pals. It’s replaced with a glider. What utter rubbish…
I’m not convinced. This is what the developers have claimed, but it doesn’t make sense.
For example, they apparently changed it so you can’t use pals to glide. They claim this is a result of the lawsuit. This leads people to the conclusion that Nintendo, in some way, has a patent on being able to glide with characters.
It doesn’t appear they do, however. It seems the patent they have is for a mechanism of *switching* between ridable characters automatically based on the terrain. Palworld never did that, though.
The way the changes were made and their very public announcements of why seem more like some sort of public gaslighting specifically to get coverage from “gaming news” websites, and arguably sway public opinion regarding the ongoing lawsuit.
Nintendo greed 1
Gaming industry 0
I continue to find this situation amusing. Palworld has been making a game as close to Pokémon as they can, so it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve been forced to make changes.
Stealing is bad.
Nintendo fans when Genshin copies Breath of the Wild:
“Wow, influence is the highest form of flattery!”
Nintendo fans when Palworld adds a fox with a different tail and a gun:
“IP THEFT. CALL THE LAWYERS. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.”
Next is Craftopia who copies alot from Legend of Zelda BOTW and the same company! The nerves of steal 😆