Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe spoke with Bloomberg about the studio's current status following the unexpected success of Palworld. Here are the key points:
Palworld was developed at a cost of less than one billion yen, approximately $6.7 million. Mizobe mentioned that the game has brought in "excessive profits" for the relatively small studio, which employs just 55 people. Their estimated revenue is in the "tens of billions of yen."
Despite Palworld's success, Pocketpair has no plans for aggressive expansion. The studio aims to maintain its small size and concentrate on producing AA titles. Mizobe expressed that blockbuster games are not the focus for his team.
The developers are considering porting Palworld to other platforms, as it's currently available on PC and Xbox.
Pocketpair is open to partnerships or mergers with other companies, but Mizobe is content with the studio's independent status for now. There have been no discussions about a potential acquisition by Microsoft.
Mizobe emphasized the importance of multiplayer in gaming, stating that users derive the most enjoyment when playing with friends. He finds it odd for a game to lack multiplayer functionality in today's gaming landscape.
Despite a decline in online play over time, Palworld's audience has exceeded 25 million since its release, and the developers remain unworried about this trend.
