The new monster taming game Palworld was originally advertised as "Armored Pokemon ", but the Early Access version of the game was so popular that it sparked a backlash online.
What is Palworld?
Palword is an open-world survival game developed by Pocketpair where players must collect resources, craft gadgets, build (and defend) a base, and capture a series of Pokemon -like monsters called "friends".
Although the design of the monsters is very similar to Pokemon , the game is not: Palworld takes inspiration from other titles, such as Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , Fortnite and Minecraft , and combines these influences to create a unique chaotic world.
Players treat Palword's approach to monster taming as a more "realistic" or "American" version of Pokemon , focusing on exploitation. Friends can be killed for meat, enslaved and armed with weapons to protect the player's base - the player can also capture and enslave humans.
So far, players are loving it; Palworld Early Access sold 5 million copies in three days, an incredible achievement, especially for a small developer like Pocketpair.
Palword isn't the first monster taming game to be accused of being a Pokemon clone (and it won't be the last), but it's the first to achieve mainstream success and challenge Pokemon's supremacy.
What is the "palworld" controversy?
Palword has been accused by meme critics of spoofing the strong similarities between some Pokemon and Pals designs.
Others have accused developers of using creative AI to create creative projects, a controversial topic in the creative industry.
While there is no concrete evidence (yet) that the game's assets create artificial intelligence, critics have pointed to Pocketpair's previous game, AI: Art Imposter , which used artificial intelligence as a core mechanic.
Many artists and game developers have objected to job loss, copyright issues, and the irresponsible use of native AI as inevitable consequences of this technology.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe is an "AI guy" and has previously expressed enthusiasm for the potential of creative AI.
Mizobe also tweeted an image of a Pokemon -like creature created by AI in December 2021, with many critics questioning it.
Did "Palworld" copy the design of "Pokemon"?
At first glance, Palworld's creatures look like Pokemon ; Casual players can easily get confused with the official Pokemon designs.
To add to the confusion , Palworld's violence and exploitation can be read as a parody of the innocent and beautiful Pokemon world, but the game doesn't seem to be leaning towards a direct parody of the Pokemon world.
Other commentators have argued that the lines between parody, plagiarism and inspiration are always blurred by the designs of monsters from competing franchises (such as Digimon ).It is often compared to Pokemon . Others pointed to examples from other monster taming games to highlight subtle differences and highlight art styles.
Palword doesn't have a distinct aesthetic: the open world is very generic and full of anime eyes that look like Fortnite models, but Pals has the bright colors and cartoonish proportions of Pokemon .
In general, there is no consistent visual identity.
The lack of visual identity can be explained by the small size and inexperience of the development team. Mizobe said in a blog post last week that 100 Palworld creatures were designed by a graduate student.
"He was a recent college graduate and applied to about 100 companies, but all were unsuccessful," he wrote. "And right now it attracts most of the Palworld characters."
Later in this post, Mizob explains how Kispire's previous game, Craftopia, was built using standardized assets. This has led commentators to debate whether the game's massive successes are worth celebrating.
Is Palword an inspiring success story with a small development team? Or is Palword a runaway hit based on other artists' work?
Regardless, while many commentators have argued that the game deserved its success at the expense of Pokemon , Pocketpair has at least managed to create a fun and engaging game that breathes new life into the monster taming genre.
Pokemon fans have been complaining that their beloved franchise has been stagnant and that developer Game Freak has failed to revive it with the latest versions of Pokemon .
The CEO of Pocketpair responded to the discussion
On Sunday , allegations of "fraud" intensified when an anonymous callercalled
Pocketpair CEO Mizobe responded to the X controversy on Monday (Twitter), but neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
Mizobe's post, as translated by Google, reads:
"Today we are receiving defamatory comments against our artists and seeing tweets that appear to be death threats. I have received mixed reviews about Palworld, but all Palworld related products are verified by many people, including myself, and I am responsible for those products. .I would really appreciate it if you would refrain from insulting the artists involved in Palworld.
Palworld is not what we think is Asmongold's answer
