Palworld Devs Aren't Fans of the 'Pokemon With Guns' Moniker

When you think of Palworld, the phrase "Pokemon with guns" likely springs to mind. This shorthand description became synonymous with the game when it first gained popularity, largely due to the internet's fascination with the unusual mix of monster collecting and weaponry. Even we at IGN have used this phrase, just like everyone else, because it's a quick and catchy way to convey the game's concept to newcomers.

However, according to Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, this was never the intended takeaway. In fact, Buckley revealed at the Game Developers Conference that Pocketpair doesn't particularly love the moniker. He explained that the game was first showcased at the Indie Live Expo in Japan in June 2021, where it received a warm reception. But soon after, Western media quickly branded it as a "certain franchise" plus guns, a label that has persisted despite efforts to move away from it.

In a subsequent interview, Buckley clarified that Pokemon was never part of the initial pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of Pokemon, and they acknowledged the similarities in monster collecting, their true inspiration was ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley noted that many on the team are "huge ARK people," and their previous game, Craftopia, drew heavily from ARK's concepts. The aim was to expand on ARK's dinosaur-centric gameplay by giving creatures more personality, abilities, and uniqueness, while integrating heavier automation elements akin to Factorio.

Buckley admitted that the "Pokemon with guns" label did contribute to Palworld's success, acknowledging the viral nature of the phrase. He mentioned that Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," which further fueled the game's notoriety. While Buckley accepts the phrase as a shorthand, he hopes players give the game a fair chance before forming opinions, as the actual gameplay differs significantly from the label suggests.

Interestingly, Buckley doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, citing different audience demographics and pointing again to ARK as a closer comparison. He also doesn't believe Palworld is in direct competition with other games like Helldivers 2, despite a significant overlap in player bases. Instead, Buckley views the notion of competition in gaming as somewhat manufactured, suggesting that the real challenge lies in timing releases amidst a crowded market.

If Buckley could choose a different tagline, he humorously suggested, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." While not as catchy as "Pokemon with guns," this phrase better reflects the game's true inspirations and mechanics.

Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld to come to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full interview [ttpp]here[ttpp].