“Palworld” seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the first hit video games of 2024. The media storm over the unofficially named “Pokémon With Guns” has since died down, but a new partnership with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) aims to fan the flames.
Why Sony is betting on Palworld after early hype
Last Wednesday saw the launch of Palworld Entertainment, a joint venture between indie game developer Pocketpair and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., along with its anime-focused subsidiary Aniplex. The company's new website is still sparse, but it does mention its mission to "accelerate the multifaceted development of 'Palworld' and further expand the IP."
Interestingly, SMEJ's official press release doesn't mention whether the new partnership means "Palworld" will be coming to PlayStation, a move that fans who heard the news might have considered an immediate priority. Instead, the priority will be to kick off "the worldwide licensing and merchandising activities related to 'Palworld,' outside of the interactive game."
It looks like Palworld is once again taking some inspiration from Pokémon. The Pokémon Company was founded in 1998 by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc. to handle the flood of licensing opportunities that arose after the success of the franchise's early games.
