Last summer, Palworld developer Pocketpair entered into a significant agreement with Sony Music Entertainment, focusing on expanding the Palworld universe through merchandise, music, and other products. This business deal sparked confusion among fans, who mistakenly believed it signaled an impending acquisition of Pocketpair, especially following earlier rumors about potential talks with Microsoft for a buyout.
However, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe clarified that the acquisition rumors were untrue at the time, yet they fueled discussions and speculations among fans. This was particularly driven by Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy in the AA gaming industry and their interest in Japanese developers, as well as Sony's counter-acquisition moves.
The question of whether Pocketpair will ever be acquired remains open, but according to communications director and publishing manager John 'Bucky' Buckley, the likelihood is extremely low. During our conversation at the Game Developers Conference last month, Buckley emphatically stated, "Our CEO would 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 further elaborated that the only scenario where an acquisition might occur would be if Mizobe decides to sell the company in his old age, a prospect Buckley finds saddening. He emphasized that in his lifetime, he does not expect to see Pocketpair acquired. Buckley also noted the separate paths of the game development and the broader IP management, with Aniplex and Sony Music steering the latter, while Pocketpair focuses on the game's direction, offering advice and thoughts as needed.
In our interview, Buckley also touched on the potential of Palworld coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, the studio's reaction to the game being dubbed "Pokemon with guns", and other topics. You can read the full discussion for more insights.
