- Palworld’s record-breaking success has raised new questions about Pokemon’s true potential.
- Pocketpair’s monster-hunting game builds upon the concept of Pokemon, highlighting the demand for such games.
- Pokemon could also benefit from similar success if released on multiple platforms.
Palworld, or Pokemon with guns, is the center of everyone’s attention today. The game has broken records left and right, becoming Steam’s third-biggest release with 1.58 million players three days after launch.
However, this was just the beginning. In the days to follow, this RPG became Steam’s second-biggest title. Most recently peaking at over 2.1 million concurrent players, Palworld is seemingly unstoppable.
Much of this current popularity comes from the inherent similarities between Pocketpair’s latest release and Pokemon. The similarities between the two are almost uncanny, with many even raising concerns about plagiarism from developer Pocketpair.
However, if there’s one thing Palworld proves, it’s that Pokemon has a massive audience across all platforms. Therefore, Nintendo has much to gain from bringing this series to more platforms.
Why it matters: Pokemon is among Nintendo’s flagship franchises closely associated with its history in the gaming industry.
Palworld Succeeds Where Pokemon Falters
It is easy to see that modern Pokemon games are no longer impressive. Whether it be for the lack of a proper direction or buggy releases, the IP’s latest entries seem to have regressed, failing to make the jump to HD gaming with the Nintendo Switch.
On the other hand, Palworld is not restricted by arbitrary hardware. This opens up opportunities for more expansive gameplay, offering something I have wanted from Pokemon for many years.
Having spent over 30 hours exploring Pokemon with guns, the game is much more than I initially expected. With competent base building and survival elements, it feels more feature-rich than any of Nintendo’s recent releases.
Despite its safe approach, Palworld offers more depth in its gameplay and variation in its environments. In comparison, Pokemon: Legends Arceus felt like a prototype for a bigger game, while Pokemon Scarlet And Violet appeared to be rushed before they were ready.
Pokemon Would Be Unstoppable As A Multi-Platform Title
While Palworld’s sales figures and player counts are nothing short of a miracle, Pokemon has already achieved such figures without a multi-platform release.
Pokemon Scarlet And Violet from 2022 sold 10 million copies in just three days, leaving all past entries in the dust. Interestingly, these games were lambasted for poor performance and a buggy launch.
Despite this obvious limitation, Pokemon sold as well as it possibly could have. For reference, Palworld needed six days to sell 8 million units, falling behind Nintendo’s latest addition to the Pokemon series.
However, this example serves to illustrate how big of an audience Nintendo is still missing out on. If Palworld can sell millions on Steam within a week, I don’t find it hard to believe that Pokemon could double this figure in a similar amount of time.
Therefore, Nintendo’s current sales figures appear like the tip of an iceberg if this series went multi-platform.
Will Nintendo Go Multi-platform?
With how well Palworld has performed, I would like to think that Nintendo will at least consider releasing Pokemon games on other platforms.
While Nintendo has shown no such interest, the entire industry is slowly shifting away from exclusivity. One may argue that Nintendo has never been one to follow industry trends, but the gaming giant would not want to be left too far behind either.
The Pokemon series has been relevant for the longest time. Dating back to 1996, this franchise has constantly offered memorable adventures, tough challenges, and well-designed monsters.
This is a series very near and dear to my heart. I have been a Pokemon fan for as long as I can remember, proudly clocking in over 2000 hours across multiple games the franchise has offered.
Therefore, I hope Nintendo gives it a chance to shine with a bigger audience. While the odds of this happening are slim, Palworld’s success could be the motivation Nintendo needs to finally change its approach.
As such, I will hold out hope for a brighter future for Pokemon, and I hope to see more platforms as part of this future.
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