2024-02-02
Pokémon, snapped
If we had to pick the gaming hot topic for January 2024, it would be 'not-Pokémon'. Palworld seems to be the lookalike on everybody's lips, but that doesn't mean that it is the only game saying "Ditto" to the Pokémon formula out there. And, boy, does Nintendo know it.
Yes, as flagged by Games Radar, Nintendo of America has filed an opposition to the attempt to trademark the term 'PokeZoo'. This 'new' IP was set to be a trading card game which boasts, according to its website description, "groundbreaking mechanics that break the 4th Wall". Mhmm.
Okay, so it's a trading card game with a similar-sounding name, there's something there, but maybe not grounds to block the copyright, right? Well, take a look at PokeZoo's November 2021 trademark submission itself (via Game File) and see if you can notice any similarities...
Yeahhh, that's a Gengar and the Poké legally-distinct ball underneath it looks a little too familiar as well. Pretty shameless, eh?
At the time of writing, the PokeZoo website is unavailable (the Nintendo ninjas work fast), though there is still what seems to be a tie-in app available on the Google Play store for those that want to, uhh, "integrate into the summoned beast world, raise them to be healthy to fight with other players".
It looks like Palworld is sticking around for the time being, but PokeZoo proves that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company aren't willing to give up on the quest to catch 'em all just yet.
Source: Nintendolife.com
