Nintendo (in collaboration with The Pokémon Company) is eyeing Pocketpair for its mega-hit open-world survival game Pal Worldalleging that the game infringes on several patents. The company is seeking an injunction and damages in the lawsuit.
In a press release (translated by Google Translate) released this evening, the company said, “In order to protect the valuable intellectual property that we have built through many years of hard work, we will continue to take necessary measures against any infringement of our intellectual property, including our trademark.” The statement noted that the lawsuit was filed on September 18 at the Tokyo District Court.
No specific patents are listed in the release.
AND Pal World so many “Pokémon with guns” that Nintendo has a case?
Some similarities to the Pokémon franchise have prompted developers to wonder whether Nintendo and The Pokémon Company would take legal action.
Pal World was famously (and in a sense affectionately) called “Pokémon with guns“O”Nervous Pokemon” when it hit the scene earlier this year. It was a runaway success, with over 25 million players in its first month alone.
Nintendo, for its part, has a somewhat litigious reputation. The corporation has attacked everyone from Blockbuster Video in the 1990s (in an alleged attempt to shut down the game rental business) to fan-game creators. Pal World It has caught your attention since its launchbut this is the first case we know of where the publisher has actually taken legal action.