2024-01-26 22:40:48
Several characters in the new game “Palworld” resemble characters from the Pokémon universe, such as Pikachu. The Pokémon Company will “investigate” possible intellectual property violation
Sacred resemblance! The Pokémon Company will “investigate” a possible misappropriation of its characters, without authorization, by the PocketPair studio in the game “Palworld”, which has already sold several million copies, it announced Thursday. Launched Friday on consoles and PC, “Palworld” is a so-called third-person shooter game, which features an avatar evolving in a world populated by creatures, sometimes hostile, some of which resemble characters from the Pokémon universe.
No authorization has been granted
Two of them notably recall the famous Pikachu, the emblematic star of Pokémon which have been available in the form of trading cards, cartoons and video games. “We will investigate and take appropriate action against any intellectual property violations related to Pokémon,” the group warned in a statement posted on its site.
The Pokémon brand generated $11.6 billion in licensing revenue in 2022, according to License Global, more than gaming giants Hasbro or Mattel. PocketPair announced Wednesday evening that “Palworld” had already sold 8 million copies in just six days. “We have received several requests regarding the game from another publisher, released in January,” Pokémon said, without mentioning the name of the game in question.
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