Last summer, the developer of Palworld, Pocketpair, entered into a significant business agreement with Sony Music Entertainment. This deal aimed to expand the Palworld universe beyond video games, encompassing merchandise, music, and other products. Despite the agreement being strictly business-oriented, some fans misinterpreted it as an indication that Pocketpair might be on the verge of being acquired, especially following earlier rumors in the year suggesting that the company was in discussions with Microsoft for an acquisition.
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe later dispelled these acquisition rumors, confirming that they were untrue at the time. However, this did not stop the speculation among fans, particularly in light of Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy in the AA gaming sector and its interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's own series of acquisitions in response.
The question remains: will Pocketpair ever be acquired? Ultimately, the decision rests with Mizobe. When I discussed this possibility with Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, at the Game Developers Conference last month, he expressed strong doubts about the likelihood of an acquisition.
"Our CEO would never allow it," Buckley stated emphatically. "He'd never allow it. He'd never allow it. He would never, never allow it. He likes doing his own thing and he likes being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."
Buckley's remarks underscored a firm stance against the idea of an acquisition, suggesting that Mizobe values his independence and autonomy. Buckley added, "So I would be shocked. Maybe when he's old, and he might just sell it off for money. And that would be sad, but in my lifetime, I probably won't see it. No, it'll be interesting to see where the two paths go. We, Pocketpair, are obviously only involved in where the game path is going. Palworld as an IP, we are involved, but it’s very much in the hands of Aniplex and Sony Music who are steering that ship right now. We are just offering our advice and thoughts as they take that."
During our conversation, Buckley and I also touched on the potential for Palworld to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's response to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns," and various other topics. You can delve into the full interview right here.
