Palworld's unprecedented financial success presents an opportunity for developer Pocketpair to aim for "beyond AAA" status with their next project. However, CEO Takuro Mizobe has outlined a different vision for the studio's future. Dive deeper to understand his perspective.
Palworld Profits Could Make Pocketpair Go 'Beyond AAA' If They Wanted
Pocketpair Interested in Indie Games and Giving Back to Community
The creature-catch survival game Palworld has become a financial juggernaut for Pocketpair, with profits reaching the tens of billions of yen—approximately 68.57 million USD for 10 billion yen. Despite this windfall, CEO Takuro Mizobe has firmly stated that the studio has no interest in pursuing a "beyond AAA" project.
In a candid interview with GameSpark, Mizobe highlighted that Palworld was funded by the earnings from previous titles, Craftopia and Overdungeon. With the substantial budget now available, Mizobe expressed concerns about the studio's readiness to handle a project on such a grand scale. He emphasized that jumping into a "beyond AAA" game prematurely could be detrimental given Pocketpair's current organizational maturity.
Mizobe elaborated, "If we were to develop our next game based on these proceeds, as we have done in the past, not only would the scale go beyond AAA, but we wouldn’t be able to keep up with this in terms of our organization’s maturity. We aren’t structured for something like that at all." He further clarified his preference for projects that are "interesting as indie games," underscoring a desire to stay true to their roots.
The studio plans to explore the limits of what they can achieve while keeping their operations on a smaller, "indie" scale. Mizobe noted that while AAA game development has become increasingly challenging, the indie gaming sector is thriving, thanks to advanced game engines and favorable industry conditions. Pocketpair's success, he believes, is largely due to the support from the indie community, and the company is keen on giving back to this vibrant ecosystem.
Palworld to Expand to 'Different Mediums'
Earlier this year, Mizobe reiterated that Pocketpair has no plans to expand its team or upgrade to more luxurious offices despite the influx of funds. Instead, the focus will be on diversifying the Palworld IP by exploring different mediums.
Palworld, currently in early access, has already won praise from its fanbase for its engaging gameplay and regular updates, including the much-anticipated PvP arena mode and the new Sakurajima island in the major update. Additionally, Pocketpair has established Palworld Entertainment in partnership with Sony to manage global licensing and merchandising for Palworld, expanding its reach beyond the gaming sphere.
