How Much Money Pocketpair May Lose After Earning $500 Million With a Budget of Only $6.7 Million?

Nintendo is no pushover and will pursue anything or anyone that may cross the Japanese gaming company’s first-party franchises and other proprietary properties. The gaming industry has seen company executives chase culprits for emulating their games and leaking them online, which was a massive blow to their sales, and recent events suggest the company is returning the favor to Pocket Pair for something else entirely.

Pocket Pair is being sued for patent infringement rather than copyright, which confused many fans. The Pokémon Company could have sued its fellow Japanese developers for copyright infringement and highlighted the obvious and striking resemblances between a Pal and a Pokémon; however, the other side found another angle to harm the company, and this will likely affect the game’s sales.

Nintendo Showed No Signs of Remorse for Filing a Lawsuit Against Pocket Pair

The gaming community witnessed how Nintendo pursued Yuzu for distributing illegal emulators earlier this year, and it is a display of power, strength, and a firm stance against zero tolerance for this nefarious activity. The Japanese company recently filed a lawsuit against Pocket Pair and it is not for the reason most people would think it was a real head-scratcher.

Palworld was released early this year for the Xbox and PC platforms and achieved a staggering milestone of 15 million copies on Steam alone which is impressive for an indie game. The gaming community immediately fell in love with the idea of building their settlements and gaining the trust of Pals which are heavily armed Pokémons, and this did not sit well with Nintendo or The Pokémon Company. The company could have pursued legal action months prior, but waiting long enough for the growing success of Pocket Pair might have pushed them over the edge, and this is a stint to harm their sales.

The game accumulated $442 million after it was released 8 months ago and this lawsuit could drastically affect this money train. There are a few ways this could go for Palworld if Pocket Pair were to lose such as Steam permanently removing the game from the online stores. The game developers were accused of copying Pokémon months ago and Nintendo did not make any moves until now unless they have gained newfound and solid evidence that could put Pocket Pair out of business.

Amidst the chaos, the developers of Pocket Pair managed to address the concerns of the player base days before the lawsuit. The developers are adamant about keeping the game as it is and have no interest in shifting to a different structure that will not be compatible with the game’s design and lead to its downfall. Perhaps these recent events will give the developers some pause, reconsider all their options and the future roadmap, and prepare for the worst.

The Gaming Community Fears for the Future of Palworld After This Lawsuit

Even if Nintendo were to win the lawsuit against Pocket Pair, the damage has already been done. The game developers already won over the favor of the gaming community because they succeeded in ways the Pokémon franchise failed. In hindsight, this is a way for Nintendo to cover up for their shortcomings and years of neglecting the popular franchise.

The game developers had a modest budget of $6.7 million for the project and reached $442 million in a few months which is impressive for a small team with a smaller budget. Their sales will likely take a massive hit because of this lawsuit.

The player base loved Palworld for what it is and acknowledged the obvious inspiration for themes and concepts from Pokémon. Apart from the Pals and the significant departure from the turn-based battle system, fans wonder what else Nintendo could sue Pocket Pair for regarding patent infringement.

Pocket Pair may have had no malicious intent from the start; however, the developers’ mistake is taking inspiration from Nintendo and this company is infamous for being protective. Hopefully, the lawsuit will blow over and the gaming community can continue to enjoy Palworld for what it is.

Do you think Nintendo has the upper hand in this situation? Let us know in the comments section below!