By Palworld creator Pocketpair is countering Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s legal action by essentially highlighting other, earlier titles and stating, ‘Look, they did it before!’
This is an oversimplified representation of the firm’s defense, as detailed on Gamesfray, a platform that has conducted thorough investigations into legal issues within the gaming field and has recently analyzed Pocketpair’s arguments, directly from the Tokyo District Court.
Pocketpair’s main contention is that Nintendo’s patents lack validity, claiming that other gaming titles have implemented similar gameplay mechanics months or even years prior to The Pokémon Company and Nintendo asserting ownership over them. The developers even cite substantial titles to support their case, including their own Craftopia.
While disputing a patent concerning capture items (like Poké Balls) used for capturing or battling, Pocketpair references Rune Factory 5, Titanfall 2, and Pikmin 3 as instances where gamers can deploy captured creatures “or a capture item (like a ball)” in any direction. Furthermore, Octopath Traveler, Final Fantasy 14, and a Dark Souls 3 modification demonstrate opportunities for players attempting to tame a creature.
Pocketpair additionally noted Far Cry 5 and Tomb Raider as titles showcasing “various types of throwable objects,” as per the report. Other games such as The Legend of Zelda, Monster Hunter 4, Path of Exile, and Dragon Quest Builders, alongside mods for Minecraft and Fallout 4, were also cited.
For those unfamiliar, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company initiated a lawsuit in Japan against this survival monster-taming game to “se