Japan’s Nintendo yesterday said that it has filed a lawsuit accusing the developer of a video game jokingly dubbed “Pokemon with guns” of patent infringement.
Nintendo and The Pokemon Co are suing Pocketpair, the Japan-based studio behind the Palworld game that became a viral hit when its prototype was released in January.
Palworld — which sold more than 5 million copies in just three days — features weapon-wielding player avatars and monsters that look similar to the creatures of Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise.
Photo: AFP
A Nintendo statement said that the companies had “filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Pocketpair” on Wednesday.
“This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld ... infringes multiple patent rights,” the statement said.
The statement did not specify how much compensation was being sought.
Nintendo said that it would “take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights” to protect what it has “worked hard to establish over the years.”
Palworld is still in development, but an “early access version” costs US$29.99 for US customers on the online Steam platform.
“Fight, farm, build and work alongside mysterious creatures called Pals in this completely new multiplayer, open world survival and crafting game,” its description says.
Initial reviews of the game were positive, although many pointed out the eerie resemblance of the Pals to Pokemon characters, with critics and users nicknaming it “Pokemon with guns.”
“Most people, myself included, thought this game was going to be a meme,” the account of game developer Pirate Software said in one review left on Steam. “It’s actually insanely detailed, extremely well optimized and compelling as hell.”
Pokemon has been a global hit since it was launched as a role-playing game in 1996 for Nintendo’s Game Boy console. The franchise, whose slogan is “Gotta Catch ’Em All,” also includes movies and an animated TV show.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS