Palworld developer Pocketpair has an fascinating method of screening job candidates. The Japanese sport studio requires these making use of for sport designer positions to submit screenshots of their Steam libraries as a part of the hiring course of.
In a current tweet on X / Twitter, CEO Takuro Mizobe shed some mild on how Pocketpair hires new sport designer expertise (as noticed by Automaton). Mizobe defined that Pocketpair has potential sport designers submit screenshots of their Steam play historical past. Moreover, Mizobe famous that candidates who don’t use Valve’s sport platform don’t get thought-about for interviews: “Those that have not performed something on Steam don’t go the doc screening stage.”
There’s a purpose why Pocketpair needs to see what their job candidates are enjoying although. As Mizobe defined: “within the interview, we query candidates concerning the prime most-played titles of their Steam libraries, for instance, we ask them to clarify the sport mechanics, to say why they assume particular mechanics have been adopted, and what makes the sport stand out towards others in the identical style. Pocketpair is recruiting sport creators who’re true Steam gamers!”
In a follow-up put up, Mitobe mentioned that whereas candidates who’re prolific console gamers are additionally inspired to submit their Ps, Xbox, or Nintendo Swap play knowledge, Steam remains to be the precedence. “We mainly flip down those that have performed zero Steam video games,” Mitobe defined. “We wish our colleagues to be enjoying indie video games which can be solely obtainable on Steam.”
This is sensible contemplating Pocketpair’s background as an indie developer whose most important distribution platform thus far has been Steam. The developer’s largest hit Palworld, in addition to its earlier sport Craftopia, have their most important playerbase on Valve’s platform.
In a put up on social media, Pocketpair Head of Publishing and Communications John “Bucky” Buckley weighed in on the CEO’s feedback: “So hilariously true. After I first joined, I used to be grilled if I knew video games like Slay the Spire. Pocketpair is an organization that really is constructed by players, and our CEO could be very adamant to maintain it that method.”
Launching in open entry on Steam and Xbox again in January 2024, Palworld skyrocketed in reputation, promoting over 8 million copies in simply six days and amassing over 25 million gamers in its first month. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Pocketpair teamed up with Sony to launch Palworld Leisure with the goal of increasing the brand new IP.
Pocketpair is constant to construct upon Palworld’s success. In addition to updates to the sport, it’s at the moment growing Palworld: Palfarm, an upcoming on-line co-op farming sim set in the identical universe. In a shock announcement final week, it revealed that Palworld can also be getting its personal bodily Buying and selling Card sport, which is ready to drop this June.
On the similar time, Palworld is the topic of an ongoing lawsuit between Pocketpair and Nintendo/The Pokemon Firm. For the reason that dispute kicked off in September 2024, there have been quite a few developments, akin to Nintendo rewriting a patent mid-lawsuit, arguing that mods shouldn’t rely as prior artwork, and getting their monster-capture patent rejected. The case is predicted to proceed this yr whilst Pocketpair works in the direction of the 1.0 launch of Palworld.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance author who beforehand served as editor, contributor and translator for the sport information web site Automaton West. She has additionally written about Japanese tradition and films for varied publications.
