Update [Wed 31st Jan, 2024 11:15 GMT]:
After a Pokémon mod for Palworld was taken down – presumably by Nintendo – the creator, @ToastedShoes, has returned with ‘Legally-Distinct Pocket Creatures’, a new mod that seems specifically designed to wind up both lawyers and fans alike.
The mod contains a new character designed after ToastedShoes himself wearing a red and white cap, along with some rather interesting creatures specifically designed to not look like assets from a certain Nintendo-published franchise.
Look, the whole thing is rather annoying, to be honest, but we do have to applaud his audacity, at least.
Original Article [Tue 23rd Jan, 2024 12:15 GMT]:
If you have been anywhere near the internet in the past week, then you likely will have walked headfirst into the chatter surrounding Palworld. Billed as ‘Pokémon-with-guns’, the game has racked up millions of downloads in the few days since its launch, despite growing concerns around its Pokémon “inspirations”.
Available on Xbox and PC, it was only going to be a matter of time before landed itself a Pokémon mod, with ‘official’ assets taking the place of those that have increasingly been referred to as “ripoff” copies.
The mod exists and a video of it was shared to Twitter yesterday by Australian YouTuber @ToastedShoes. It showed familiar faces like Ash Ketchum and Misty wielding firearms, while all of the Palworld ‘Pals’ were swapped out for Pokémon models. ToastedShoes announced that he would upload a full video of the mod the following day, though, unsurprisingly, it seems that someone has intervened.
Yes, what the YouTuber catchily refers to as “Nintendo has come for me,” might be better known as a DMCA takedown. We can’t know for sure whether it was issued by the Big-N, with the company reportedly refusing to comment on “individual cases” such as this previously, though it makes sense to assume that either Nintendo or The Pokémon Company have been the ones to step in.
Whether the legal action will remain solely on Pokémon mods remains to be seen (ToastedShoes has yet to upload the promised “full video” at the time of writing, and the takedown makes it seem unlikely, if we’re being honest), though increasing calls from fans and legal experts alike to address the near-identical assets suggest that there might be more copyright strikes on the horizon.