<p>Tokyo: The Pokemon Company said on Thursday it will investigate and take action over any infringement of its intellectual property rights, after a viral game from a Japanese developer became dubbed "Pokemon with guns".</p><p>Survival adventure game <em>Palworld</em> from PocketPair, in which players can use guns to capture and train cute creatures known as "pals", is in early access on Steam and has sold more than 8 million copies since its Jan. 18 release.</p><p>The title, which is also available on the Xbox, has received praise from reviewers for its gameplay while generating debate over perceived similarities with the family-friendly Pokemon series.</p><p>"We have received libellous comments about our artists and some tweets that seem close to death threats," PocketPair CEO Takuro Mizobe said in a post on X earlier this week.</p>.<p>PocketPair was not immediately reachable for comment.</p><p>The Pokemon Company said in a statement it has "received many inquiries regarding another company's game released in January 2024."</p><p>"We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokemon," the company said.</p><p>The Pokemon Company was set up with investment from gaming companies Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures.</p><p>Nintendo said it does not comment on individual cases. </p>
<p>Tokyo: The Pokemon Company said on Thursday it will investigate and take action over any infringement of its intellectual property rights, after a viral game from a Japanese developer became dubbed "Pokemon with guns".</p><p>Survival adventure game <em>Palworld</em> from PocketPair, in which players can use guns to capture and train cute creatures known as "pals", is in early access on Steam and has sold more than 8 million copies since its Jan. 18 release.</p><p>The title, which is also available on the Xbox, has received praise from reviewers for its gameplay while generating debate over perceived similarities with the family-friendly Pokemon series.</p><p>"We have received libellous comments about our artists and some tweets that seem close to death threats," PocketPair CEO Takuro Mizobe said in a post on X earlier this week.</p>.<p>PocketPair was not immediately reachable for comment.</p><p>The Pokemon Company said in a statement it has "received many inquiries regarding another company's game released in January 2024."</p><p>"We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokemon," the company said.</p><p>The Pokemon Company was set up with investment from gaming companies Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures.</p><p>Nintendo said it does not comment on individual cases. </p>