Palworld's Unexpected Path: From Massive Success to Indie Focus
Pocketpair, the developer behind the wildly successful Palworld, has amassed considerable profits. This success could easily fund a "beyond AAA" title, yet CEO Takuro Mizobe has chosen a different path. Let's explore his reasoning.
Pocketpair Prioritizes Indie Development and Community Support
Palworld's phenomenal success has generated tens of billions of yen in revenue (tens of millions of USD). Despite this windfall, Mizobe believes Pocketpair isn't structured to handle a project of that magnitude.
He explains that Palworld's development was funded by profits from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. However, with Palworld's massive success, he's opted against scaling up to a AAA production. In a GameSpark interview, Mizobe stated that a larger-scale project would overstretch the company's current organizational capabilities. He prefers to focus on projects that are "interesting as indie games."
Mizobe highlights the challenges of AAA development, citing the difficulty of creating a hit title with a large team. He sees a thriving indie scene, bolstered by improved game engines and industry conditions, offering a more viable path to global success. He credits the indie community for Pocketpair's growth and emphasizes the company's commitment to giving back.
Palworld's Expansion into New Avenues
Mizobe has previously stated that Pocketpair won't be expanding its team or upgrading its offices, instead focusing on expanding the Palworld IP into different mediums.
Palworld, currently in early access, continues to receive positive feedback and significant updates, including a PvP arena and a new island in the recent Sakurajima update. Furthermore, Pocketpair has established Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony to manage global licensing and merchandising.
