: Pocketpair, publisher of Palworld, on games that leverage generative AI and NFTs says “We don’t trust it”.
Pocketpair’s newly launched publishing arm has taken a hard stance on generative AI, saying it will not back games that rely on it, Web3, or NFTs, with communications director John Buckley telling Game Developer: “We don’t believe in it.”
Palworld’s Pocketpair studio has recently made waves with its firm stance on the use of generative AI. It announced that its publishing division would not support any titles relying upon the technology.
An interview with John “Bucky Buckley”communications director and publisher manager at Gamescom Asia and Game Developer said: “People will say I’m a liar, but these are the hard facts. We don’t think it’s worth it. We are very open about it. The division’s first project is a horror game by Surgent Studios. They are known for Tales of Kenzara ZAUand have voice talents such as Baldur’s Gate 3’s ( Neil Newbon) and Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr. Buckley’s reservations regarding generative AI are partly due to the growing flood of low effort content that he predicts will dominate stores like Steam in the future. He said that “Steam has been able to keep them out.” It’s happening.
But he warns that the change in the industry can breed paranoia and false accusations that unfairly targets legitimate creators. This is a challenge Pocketpair knows all too well.
In 2024, after Palworld ‘s explosive Early Access launch that saw the title selling 5 million copies in just three days, and attracting more than 2 million concurrent players on Steam, the game faced an barrage of accusations that it was “AI Slop.”
Some critics pointed out creature designs as suspiciously similar to Pokemon (Scarlet and Violet)while others referred to CEO Takur Pocketpair, which has been credited with the majority of character designs by a single artist who was rejected by 100 other companies, denied the accusations. They even released a party game called AI: Art Imposter to poke fun at this trend.
Buckley is aware of the irony in such scrutiny, and explains that responding to critics can backfire. “You know, you can’t just come to fight with these people who are making the AI accusations because it just fuels the situation.”
