At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last month, we had an in-depth discussion with John “Bucky” Buckley, the communications director and publishing manager for Palworld developer Pocketpair. Following his insightful talk at the conference, titled 'Community Management Summit: A Palworld Roller Coaster: Surviving the Drop,' Buckley shared candid insights into the challenges Palworld faced, including accusations of using generative AI (which Pocketpair has debunked) and claims of stealing Pokémon models (which have been retracted). He also touched on Nintendo's patent infringement lawsuit against the studio, expressing that it "came as a shock" and was "something that no one even considered."
Due to the wealth of information Buckley provided on Pocketpair's community management experiences, we've decided to share the full extended interview. For those seeking a more concise summary, you can explore our shorter articles on topics such as the possibility of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the "Pokémon with guns" label, and whether Pocketpair might be acquired.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity:
IGN: Let's get the annoying question out of the way first. You mentioned the lawsuit briefly in your GDC talk. Has that lawsuit made it harder for Pocketpair to move forward and update the game?
John Buckley: No, it hasn't made it harder to update the game or to move forward. It's just something that weighs on us constantly. It's more about morale than anything else. Of course, we have to hire lawyers, but that's handled by the top management, and it doesn't affect our daily work on the game.
IGN: I was intrigued by your reaction to the "Pokémon with guns" label. Why did you seem to dislike it?
Buckley: A lot of people think that was our goal from the start, but it wasn't. We aimed to create something more like ARK: Survival Evolved, with heavier automation and more personality for each creature. The "Pokémon with guns" label emerged after our first trailer, and while it wasn't our choice, it's what stuck.
IGN: You mentioned not understanding why Palworld took off so quickly. Do you think the "Pokémon with guns" label played a role?
Buckley: It definitely fueled the fire, but it's frustrating when people believe that's all the game is. We'd prefer people give it a chance first. If they want to call it that after playing, that's fine, but it's not accurate.
IGN: What would you have called Palworld if you could choose the moniker?
Buckley: Maybe something like "Palworld: It's kind of like ARK if ARK met Factorio and Happy Tree Friends." It doesn't roll off the tongue as well, but it's more accurate.
IGN: How did the AI slop accusations impact the team at Pocketpair?
Buckley: It was a massive blow, especially for our artists. It's upsetting, particularly for our Pal concept artists who've been with us since day one. We released an art book to counter these claims, but it hasn't been as effective as we hoped. Our artists, many of whom are female, prefer to stay out of the public eye, which makes it harder to refute these accusations.
IGN: What's your take on the state of online gaming communities and the role of social media?
Buckley: Social media is crucial for us, especially in the Asian market where it's a way of life. Online gaming communities can be intense, and while we understand the emotional reactions, the death threats are particularly hard to handle. We're just as frustrated by game issues as our players, but we're working to fix them.
IGN: Do you feel social media is getting worse?
Buckley: There's a trend of people saying the opposite just to get a reaction. Luckily, Palworld has mostly avoided political and social controversies, focusing more on gameplay issues.
IGN: You mentioned that the majority of the heat came from the Western audience. Why do you think that is?
Buckley: We're not sure. In Japan, opinions about us are split, but we focus on the overseas market with a Japanese flair. Maybe it was just easy pickings at the time, but it's manageable now.
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IGN: Palworld was extremely successful. Has that changed how the studio operates or your future plans?
Buckley: It's changed our future plans, but not the studio itself. We're hiring more developers and artists to speed up development, but our company culture remains the same. Our CEO wants to keep the team small, around 70 people.
IGN: Did you anticipate Palworld's level of success?
Buckley: We knew it was a good game, but the level of success was surreal. A million sales for an indie game is a huge achievement, and we're still trying to grasp the numbers.
IGN: Will Pocketpair support Palworld for a long time?
Buckley: Palworld is definitely here to stay, though we're not sure in what form. We're also working on other projects like Craftopia and supporting our developers' individual ideas.
IGN: What about the partnership with Sony that was misunderstood?
Buckley: It's still misunderstood. We're not owned by Sony, and our CEO would never allow an acquisition. He values his independence.
IGN: Do you see Pokémon as a competitor?
Buckley: Not really. The audiences and systems are different. We focus more on other survival games like Nightingale and Enshrouded. Competition in games is often manufactured for marketing, and we're more concerned with timing than direct competition.
IGN: Would you consider releasing Palworld on the Nintendo Switch?
Buckley: If we could make it work on the Switch, we would, but it's a beefy game. We're waiting to see the specs of the Switch 2 before deciding.
IGN: What's your message for those who misunderstand Palworld?
Buckley: I think a lot of people who only know Palworld from the drama would be surprised if they played it for an hour. We're not as seedy as people think, and we're a nice little company that's done well with every game we've made.
