Palworld Director Clarifies AI Controversy and Misunderstandings

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last month, we had an in-depth conversation with John "Bucky" Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager for Palworld developer Pocketpair. This discussion followed Buckley's engaging talk at the conference titled 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' where he openly discussed the challenges Palworld faced, including accusations of using generative AI and stealing Pokémon models, which Pocketpair has since debunked and seen retracted. Buckley also touched on the unexpected patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo, describing it as a shock to the studio.

We've covered some highlights from our conversation in shorter articles, but the depth of Buckley's insights into Pocketpair's community management warranted sharing the full interview. For those interested in more focused topics, you can explore Buckley's thoughts on a potential Nintendo Switch 2 release, the studio's reaction to the "Pokémon with guns" label, and whether Pocketpair might consider acquisition at the provided links.

**IGN: Let's start with the difficult question about the lawsuit you briefly mentioned in your GDC talk. Has it impacted Pocketpair's ability to update and move forward with the game?**

**John Buckley:** The lawsuit hasn't hindered our ability to update or progress with the game. It's more of a constant presence that affects morale rather than our development process. Of course, it necessitates legal involvement, but that's primarily handled by our top executives, not the broader team.

**IGN: You mentioned the 'Pokémon with guns' label in your talk. Why does it bother you?**

**Buckley:** Many think we set out to create 'Pokémon with guns,' but that wasn't our goal. We aimed to build something akin to ARK: Survival Evolved with more automation and distinct creature personalities. When we released the first trailer, the 'Pokémon with guns' label emerged, which we weren't thrilled about, but it's out there now.

**IGN: You expressed confusion about Palworld's sudden popularity. Was the 'Pokémon with guns' phrase a catalyst?**

**Buckley:** Absolutely, it played a significant role. But it's frustrating when people think that's what the game is without playing it. We'd prefer if people gave it a chance before labeling it.

**IGN: How would you have described Palworld?**

**Buckley:** Perhaps, "Palworld: It's like ARK if it met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." It's not as catchy, though.

**IGN: You addressed the criticism of Palworld being 'AI slop' in your talk. How did this affect the team internally?**

**Buckley:** It was a massive blow, particularly for our artists, especially our Pal concept artists who've been with us from the start. It's hard to counter these claims, especially since our team prefers to stay out of the public eye. We released an art book to combat these misconceptions, but it didn't fully resolve the issue.

**IGN: The industry is grappling with generative AI. How do you respond to accusations that your game uses it?**

**Buckley:** The accusations are largely unfounded, stemming from a misinterpreted comment by our CEO and our involvement in a party game called AI: Art Imposter. We're not proponents of generative AI; we just wanted to create a fun, ironic game.

**IGN: What's your view on the state of online gaming communities and the role of social media?**

**Buckley:** Social media is crucial for us, especially in our primary markets like Japan and China. While online communities can be intense, we understand the emotional reactions. However, death threats are where we draw the line; they're illogical and deeply hurtful, especially when we're dedicated to fixing issues.

**IGN: Do you feel social media has become more toxic recently?**

**Buckley:** There's a trend of people saying controversial things for reactions, which might be encouraged by social media algorithms. Fortunately, Palworld has avoided much of this, mainly receiving feedback about game issues.

**IGN: You mentioned the majority of negative feedback came from the Western audience. Why do you think that is?**

**Buckley:** It's puzzling. In Japan, opinions are split, but overseas, we might have been easy targets at the time. The criticism has since become more manageable.

Palworld Screens

17 Images

IGN: Palworld's success was unexpected. Has it changed how Pocketpair operates or your future plans?

**Buckley:** It's changed our future plans, but not our core operations. We're hiring more developers and artists to speed up development, but our company culture remains unchanged. Our CEO wants to keep the team size manageable, despite our growth to 70 people.

**IGN: Do you anticipate supporting Palworld long-term?**

**Buckley:** Absolutely, Palworld isn't going anywhere. We're exploring how it will evolve, but we're also committed to other projects like Craftopia and supporting individual team initiatives. Palworld has become both a game and an IP, with different trajectories.

**IGN: There's a misconception about a partnership with Sony. Can you clarify that?**

**Buckley:** We're not owned by Sony. That's a common misunderstanding. Our CEO would never allow acquisition; he values independence.

**IGN: How do you see Palworld's competition with Pokémon?**

**Buckley:** We don't see Pokémon as direct competition. Our audiences and game systems are different. We were more focused on competing with other survival games like Nightingale and Enshrouded. Competition in gaming is often exaggerated for marketing; we're more concerned with timing our releases.

**IGN: Would you consider releasing Palworld on the Nintendo Switch?**

**Buckley:** If we could optimize it for the Switch, we would. For the Switch 2, we're waiting to see the specs, but if it's powerful enough, it's definitely worth considering. We've had success optimizing for the Steam Deck.

**IGN: What's your message to those who misunderstand Palworld without playing it?**

**Buckley:** I think many people misunderstand Palworld based on news and drama. I encourage them to play it. We're considering a demo to let people experience it firsthand. We're not the company people think we are; we're just trying to protect our team and create enjoyable games.

**IGN: Last year was a big year for gaming. How do you reflect on it?**

**Buckley:** 2024 was an extraordinary year with many successful games. The high emotions and successes of last year might have contributed to the intense online reactions we experienced.