Key Takeaways
1. Nintendo is involved in ongoing legal battles, notably against Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, due to patent issues related to mounting systems in games.
2. Pocketpair has adjusted its game in response to the lawsuit, removing the ability for players to ride on flying creatures.
3. HoYoverse’s upcoming game, Honka: Nexus Anima, features similar mechanics to Pokémon and may also be at risk of legal action from Nintendo.
4. Experts suggest that the lawsuit against Pocketpair may focus more on monster designs resembling Pokémon rather than just the mounting feature.
5. Smaller developers face ongoing concerns about Nintendo’s aggressive legal tactics, especially when launching new games that compete with Pokémon titles.
Critics frequently accuse Nintendo of being too aggressive with its lawsuits. A prime example is its ongoing legal fight against Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld. Many gamers argue that a mount patent altered during the litigation is far too broad. Now, an intellectual property consultant is suggesting that a new game from HoYoverse could also be a target for Nintendo.
Ongoing Legal Battles
The legal action against Palworld is still in progress, but Pocketpair has already made adjustments to its game. In a recent update, players can no longer ride on flying creatures. An article from Automaton points out that the same Nintendo patent might apply to mounting systems in various games.
Potential Target for Nintendo
The soon-to-be-released Honka: Nexus Anima is a creature-catching game reminiscent of Pokémon, featuring a similar flying mount mechanic. In footage that has been shared, characters soar through the air with their companions in the settings of Honka: Star Rail. Florian Mueller from Games Fray argues that the “smoothly switch” language in the Nintendo patent could be significant. Nevertheless, he doubts that courts will penalize developers for such a widely-used feature.
Different Perspectives on the Lawsuit
Other experts believe that the mounting issue wasn’t the primary reason for Nintendo’s lawsuit. Instead, the focus seemed to be on monster designs that were similar to Pokémon. This gave Nintendo another reason to pursue its legal action.
Another point to consider is that Pocketpair doesn’t have the extensive resources that HoYoverse or its parent company, MiHoYo, possess. Additionally, Pocketpair’s location in Japan made it easier for Nintendo to initiate legal proceedings. Whether Nintendo would take on the Chinese company behind popular Gacha games, like Genshin Impact, remains uncertain.
Although Honka: Nexus Anima might dodge Nintendo’s legal action, the patent continues to raise concerns for smaller developers. Whenever a new competitor appears for a Pokémon game or any similar title, Nintendo could quickly act to shut down those projects.
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