Is Nintendo’s 9-Month Wait to Sue Palworld Part of a Grand Switch 2 Campaign?

Nintendo is renowned for being protective of its properties and first-party franchises. The Japanese gaming company has been around in the entertainment business long enough for other major rivals and smaller competitors to realize that this platform is not to be trifled with. The company recently filed a lawsuit against Pocket Pair which was a long time coming; however, the grounds are much more different from what the gaming community expects and they are doing this with major leaks.

The Japanese gaming company is no push-over and will pursue legal action wherever they see fit. Pocket Pair has been in hot water in the past few months because of the striking similarities between the Pals and Pokémons which is what most of the gaming community expected to be the reason behind the lawsuit. Perhaps the gaming company is planting seeds for a triumphant marketing campaign.

Nintendo Is Playing a Dangerous Game of Chicken With the Pocket Pair

The developers of Palworld might have dodged a massive bullet when the Japanese gaming company decided to pursue legal action against those who distribute illegal copies of first-party games through emulators. The gaming company will not stand and tolerate this illegal activity which can be viewed as an insult to the hard work of the developers. Pocket Pair has been confident about their chances against a potential lawsuit; however, their luck has finally run out.

Nintendo has officially filed a lawsuit against Pocket Pair for patent infringement rather than copyright. The company could have taken legal action months before but opted to do so now, especially with leaks running rampant of its next console. Perhaps this is all a massive marketing scheme to remain relevant in the coming months until the Switch successor is officially revealed to the world and having all eyes on the company until then.

We posted the News Release “Filing Lawsuit for Infringement of Patent Rights against Pocketpair, Inc.”https://t.co/76ttENZXtv

— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) September 18, 2024

Some fans called out the company for being petty and accused them of neglecting the Pokémon brand for far too long. It was only a matter of time before a company like Pocket Pair stepped up to fill the void and pick up the pieces of Nintendo’s shortcomings from its popular franchise. The developers are optimistic about the future of Palworld and assured the gaming community after the recent allegations that changing the structure from a paid game to a free-to-play structure was never in the cards.

Your just being petty because you haven’t made an innovative Pokémon in decades. Most of your original Pokémon fans are in their 20’s to 40’s now, yet you’ve done nothing in these games to cater this player base. Palworld did and capitalized on a community you neglected.

— Theron Alvord (@TheronAlvord) September 19, 2024

Nintendo will still have gained the gaming community’s attention no matter what. People will be tuning into this case closely and the gaming company will still be relevant for the next few months and buying the company enough time to generate hype for the next console.

It is unfortunate to see Pocket Pair be the scapegoat for this potential marketing campaign. Regardless, public opinion has been split down the middle because of these recent events, and is invested to see how it all ends.

Palworld Is Taking the Fall for the Switch 2 to Rise in Popularity

Some experts and analysts predicted the Switch successor will likely hit store shelves sometime between April and June of next year. The gaming community anticipated the next-generation console to arrive amidst the mid-cycle reveal of the PlayStation 5 Pro, The Japanese gaming company is bound to make a move soon.

Perhaps this lawsuit will be the perfect cover-up to shift the gaming community’s focus someplace else while keeping Nintendo relevant and the marketing scheme for the Switch successor. Once the dust clears and everything is settled, the Switch 2 will finally be revealed to the world after years of rumors, leaks, and speculations.

Pocket Pair must continue persevering and hope for a miracle to win the lawsuit and keep the game running. Hopefully, this will all be remembered as a minor inconvenience for the growing success of Palworld.

Are you excited about the Switch successor? Let us know in the comments section below!