When you think of Palworld, the immediate association many people make is "Pokemon with guns." This shorthand description became widespread when the game first surged in popularity, likely contributing to its viral success due to the intriguing mix of two seemingly disparate concepts. Even we at IGN have used this phrase, as have many others. It was a convenient way to quickly convey the essence of the game to newcomers.

However, according to Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, this label was never the intended focus. In fact, Buckley expressed during a talk at the Game Developers Conference that Pocketpair doesn't particularly love the moniker. He elaborated on the game's initial reveal in June 2021 at the Indie Live Expo in Japan, where it received a positive response. Soon after, Western media picked up on the game and quickly branded it as a mix of a "certain franchise" and guns, a label that has persisted despite efforts to move beyond it.

In a follow-up interview, Buckley clarified that Pokemon was never part of the original pitch for Palworld. While the development team includes fans of Pokemon, and they recognized the similarities in monster-collecting mechanics, their true inspiration was ARK: Survival Evolved. Buckley mentioned that many on the team were fans of ARK, and their previous game, Craftopia, drew inspiration from it. The goal with Palworld was to expand on ARK's concept, focusing more on automation and giving each creature unique personalities and abilities.

Buckley acknowledged that the "Pokemon with guns" label did help boost Palworld's success. He cited an instance where Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive even trademarked "Pokemonwithguns.com," which further fueled the game's notoriety. However, Buckley expressed frustration that some people still believe this label accurately describes the gameplay, which he insists is not the case. He encourages players to try the game before forming an opinion.

Moreover, Buckley doesn't see Pokemon as a direct competitor to Palworld, suggesting that the audiences for the two games don't significantly overlap. He views ARK as a closer comparison but doesn't feel Palworld is in direct competition with any specific game, including Helldivers 2, which many Palworld players also purchased. Buckley critiqued the notion of "console wars" and competition in gaming, suggesting it's often manufactured for marketing purposes. He believes the real challenge is timing game releases rather than competing with other titles.

If Buckley could choose a different viral tagline for Palworld, he suggested something like, "Palworld: It's Kind of Like ARK if ARK Met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." He admitted, however, that this doesn't have the same catchy appeal as "Pokemon with guns."

Buckley and I also discussed the potential for Palworld to come to the Nintendo Switch 2, the possibility of Pocketpair being acquired, and more. You can read the full interview here.