Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into a significant partnership with Sony Music Entertainment. This collaboration aimed at expanding the Palworld universe beyond video games through merchandise, music, and other products. Despite this being purely a business agreement, some fans mistakenly interpreted it as a precursor to an acquisition, fueled by earlier rumors that Pocketpair was in discussions with Microsoft about a potential buyout.
However, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe quickly dispelled those acquisition rumors, confirming they were unfounded. Yet, the buzz around a possible acquisition continued, especially with Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy in the AA gaming sector and their interest in Japanese developers, alongside Sony's own series of acquisitions.
So, will Pocketpair ever be acquired? The decision ultimately rests with Mizobe. At last month's Game Developers Conference, I spoke with Pocketpair's communications director and publishing manager, John 'Bucky' Buckley, who expressed strong doubts about any future acquisition.
"Our CEO would never allow it," Buckley emphasized. "He likes doing his own thing and being his own boss. He doesn't like people telling him what to do."
Buckley's stance was clear and firm, suggesting that Mizobe's independence is a core value. He 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."
In our comprehensive interview, Buckley and I also delved into 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 more. You can explore the full discussion here.
