When you think of Palworld, the phrase "Pokemon with guns" likely comes to mind. This shorthand description, widely used across the internet, significantly contributed to the game's initial surge in popularity due to its unique combination of familiar and novel concepts. Even we at IGN have used this phrase, as have many others, because it succinctly conveys the game's essence to those unfamiliar with it.
However, John 'Bucky' Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager at Pocketpair, emphasized during a talk at the Game Developers Conference that "Pokemon with guns" was not the intended takeaway. In fact, Pocketpair is not particularly fond of this moniker. Buckley explained that the game was first revealed in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a warm reception. However, it was quickly branded by Western media as a mix of a "certain franchise" and guns, a label that has persisted despite the team's efforts to distance themselves from it.
In an interview following his talk, Buckley clarified that Pokemon was never part of the initial pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of Pokemon, and they acknowledged the similarities in monster collecting, their true inspiration was ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley noted that many team members were fans of ARK and their previous game, Craftopia, drew inspiration from it. The goal was to create a game similar to ARK but with a stronger focus on automation and unique creature abilities, each creature being a distinct entity with its own personality.
Buckley admitted that the "Pokemon with guns" label did help boost Palworld's success, with even Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive trademarking 'Pokemonwithguns.com'. Yet, he expressed frustration that some people still believe this is an accurate representation of the game. He stressed that Palworld is not remotely like Pokemon in gameplay and encouraged players to give it a chance before forming an opinion.
Moreover, Buckley does not see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, suggesting that the audiences do not significantly overlap. He considers ARK a more apt comparison but also believes that competition in the gaming industry is often exaggerated for marketing purposes. He stated that the real competition is more about timing than direct rivalry with other games, even mentioning that many Palworld players also purchased Helldivers 2 upon its release.
If Buckley could choose a different tagline, he humorously proposed "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While acknowledging that it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as "Pokemon with guns," he believes it more accurately captures the game's essence.
Buckley and I also discussed the potential of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more in our interview, which you can read in full here.
