Nintendo sues '笔辞办茅尘辞苍 with guns' video game firm
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Nintendo and its partner The 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 Company have filed a legal case against the maker of the hit survival adventure game Palworld over alleged patent infringement.
Palworld quickly earned the nickname "笔辞办茅尘辞苍 with guns" when its first trailer was unveiled in 2021.
Just days after the game's release in January this year, The 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 Company said it would investigate the copycat claims.
Palworld's developer, Pocketpair Inc, acknowledged the lawsuit in a statement on Thursday and apologised to fans for "any worry or discomfort" caused.
Pocketpair's boss previously said the game had passed legal checks.
But Nintendo is known for fiercely protecting its intellectual property and brand.
笔辞办茅尘辞苍 that Palworld "infringes multiple patent rights".
"This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages".
, with more than 25 million players within a month of its release.
Like the popular franchise of 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 video games, it also centres around collecting strange creatures with different powers.
Pocketpair's website describes the game as seamlessly integrating "elements of battle, monster-capturing, training, and base building."
Players, known as "pal-tamers", travel around a large map battling human foes and creatures known as "pals" which can be captured and recruited.
The monsters can either fight alongside the player in battles, or be put to work at a base, crafting supplies and items for use in the field.
In January, The 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 Company said it planned to , after fans pointed out similarities.
The 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 Company said at the time it would take "appropriate action" if it found its copyright had been breached.
Pocketpair said in on Thursday it would begin taking action on and investigating The 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 Company's claims.
But it added that it was "unaware" of the specific patents that it had been accused of infringing.
"We have not been notified of such details," it said.
A Nintendo spokesperson told the 麻豆官网首页入口 it would "refrain from commenting on topics that relate to the content of the lawsuit".
The company "has a track record of suing organisations and individuals which it feels has infringed upon its IP," said gaming industry analyst Piers Harding Rolls.
He told the 麻豆官网首页入口 its latest lawsuit "continues this trend" - and reflects the importance of the 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 franchise to the gaming giant.
"Nintendo is part owner of The 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 Company and the 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 franchise, and the series of games are inextricably linked to Nintendo鈥檚 console business," he said.
Earlier this week, 笔辞办茅尘辞苍 won a $15m legal fight against several Chinese game developers it accused of infringing its copyright.
Pocketpair, meanwhile, said it was "truly unfortunate" that, as a smaller, independent game developer, it would now have to allocate time and resources to the lawsuit, rather than to Palworld.
"However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas," it added.