Palworld Devs on Standalone Spinoffs: “Maximizing Revenue” Isn’t What Drives Creative Decisions
One of the biggest surprise hits in recent memory has to be Palworld. Pocketpair came out of nowhere, and while initially thought of as a Pokémon clone, the game has proven it has its own identity.
It’s gotten so big, in fact, that Pocketpair decided to spin it off with a new project called Palworld: Palfarm, which is due for release on PC — at least initially. But wouldn’t it have made more sense for Pocketpair to integrate Palfarm into the main Palworld game? Similar to what Fortnite has done to build a metaverse with the likes of LEGO, Rocket Racing and other IPs and genres.
Palworld Devs Want to Make Fun Games Their Own Way
Speaking to MP1st in an exclusive interview, we asked Palworld about the brand’s spinoffs, and they’re not leaning toward building more of a metaverse-type experience.
Answering for Pocketpair is John “Bucky” Buckley, the studio’s Head of Publishing and Communications.
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MP1st: We know multiple spinoffs are coming, with Palfarm being one of them. It seems the studio is pressing hard on the accelerator to expand the IP’s footprint. That makes sense given the success, but the online gaming landscape has been leaning toward building more of a metaverse-type experience, with Fortnite being the biggest example.
Bucky answered, “Well… I can certainly understand why some people might expect us to take Palworld in that direction, but for us… we just want to make fun games in our own way. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but while we obviously want our games to be successful, maximizing revenue as quickly as possible isn’t what drives our creative decisions.”
Bucky continued and used Palfarm as an example, stating, “When it comes to Palworld, we feel that some ideas would be better served as standalone games, where we can fully design the gameplay systems, pacing, and overall experience around that specific concept.”
“Palfarm is a good example. Rather than trying to fit that experience into Palworld as just one mode, we believe making it a standalone title gives it more room to develop its own identity and become something special in its own right,” Bucky commented, and acknowledged how what Epic is doing with Fortnite isn’t the wrong way either, adding, “We don’t see this as one approach being better than the other. Different games and IPs will naturally benefit from different strategies.”
Bucky concludes by saying that “For Palworld, this is simply the direction we felt made the most sense. The main Palworld game remains extremely important to us, and these spinoffs are not intended to replace it. We see them as new ways for players to enjoy the world and characters of Palworld from different perspectives.”
Aside from Palfarm, Pocketpair has also announced “Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals,” as another spinoff from the main game.
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