Palworld confirms it doesn’t use GenAI, claims “gamers don’t want it”

Palworld drew a ton of attention upon its initial announcement and release due to plenty of design similarities between the survival-crafter and Nintendo’s Pokemon series. While some may feel as though the title is derivative in this regard, at the very least it appears the game was made using human hands, with studio Pocketpair making their stance on the rise of GenAI quite clear.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Pocketpair publishing and communications head ‘John Buckley’ spoke on the rising use of Generative AI in video game development. Stating: “Gamers don't want it, and if the gamers don't want it, I guess that's it, right? Not much of a conversation to be had.”

While a self-explanatory statement, the conversion did continue, with Buckley adding: “We have a lot of artists in-house. They like doing stuff themselves. There's no reason to get rid of them for the sake of an AI doing it. Just seems pointless.”

The full interview includes takes on GenAI for coding purposes, the difference in its usage across regions/cultures and where AI could go in the future.

It is worth noting that PocketPair’s CEO has spoken publicly on multiple occasions praising various aspects of AI in the past. Of course, between when these statements were made (Late 2022 – Early 2023) and now, both GenAI and many people’s opinions on it have shifted quite a bit.

Either way, it is always welcome seeing studios making their position on the matter clear – for transparency’s sake if nothing else.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Buckley’s statement? What’s your thoughts on GenAI in game dev? Let us know down below.

Become a Patron!