John Buckley
Reporting and statements that mention John Buckley.
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Mass Effect composer wants to rescore leaked internal ME Universe trailer to "properly represent my musical vision"
Mass Effect composer Sam Hulick plans to rescore a leaked internal trailer for the cancelled Mass Effect Universe game to better reflect his musical vision, aiming for release on N7 Day. Meanwhile, Palworld developer Pocketpair remains hopeful about releasing their game on the Switch 2, despite an ongoing legal battle with Nintendo over alleged patent infringement.
Palworld studio still hopes to release the game on Switch 2 one day, despite being in a legal battle with Nintendo
Despite an ongoing legal battle with Nintendo over alleged patent infringement, Palworld developer Pocketpair remains hopeful about bringing the game to the Switch 2. CEO Takuru Mizobe expressed enthusiasm for the platform, though a port is unlikely until the lawsuit is resolved. The game has achieved significant sales and player counts since its 2024 release.
Palworld: Side by Side is the survival game's next big update, and it releases in Winter 2026
Pocketpair has announced that Palworld's next major update, titled Side by Side, is scheduled for release in Winter 2026. The developer also shared the results of a recent popularity poll for in-game characters and Pals. Head of publishing John Buckley indicated that future updates will focus on quality over quantity, with each Pal having memorable traits rather than introducing a large number of new creatures.
Palworld studio doesn't want to just "release 100 new Pals with the next update" as Pocketpair lead says "every Pal should have something" memorable
Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld, is prioritizing meaningful additions over simply increasing the number of Pals in updates. Lead John Buckley stated that each Pal should be memorable, whether through design, abilities, or personality, rather than just adding to a roster. This approach also considers the complex balance adjustments required with each new Pal.
Palworld picks spin-offs over a Fortnite-style metaverse because "maximizing revenue as quickly as possible isn’t what drives our creative decisions," says Pocketpair lead
Pocketpair's John Buckley stated that the company prioritizes creating fun games over maximizing revenue quickly, opting for spin-off titles like Palfarm instead of a Fortnite-style metaverse. This independent, self-funded approach allows for distinct gameplay experiences and identities for each project.
Palworld's cursed dating sim is a "little goofy thing" and not a proper spin-off, Pocketpair lead says: "I would only consider Palfarm the true spin-off"
Pocketpair's head of communications, John Buckley, clarified that only Palfarm is considered a true spin-off of Palworld, while other upcoming projects like 'More Than Just Pals' are described as 'little goofy things.' Buckley emphasized that these projects have fundamentally different gameplay compared to the original Palworld.
Palworld becoming the best-reviewed Steam game of 2026 is "nothing short of miraculous," says Pocketpair lead
Pocketpair's lead John Buckley expressed astonishment that Palworld has become the highest-rated game of 2026 on Steam, calling the player reception to its 1.0 update
Palworld lead says survival game genre has "found its stride" with the likes of Valheim 1.0 and Dune: Awakening after being "plagued with 100 hit or miss games a year"
John Buckley, head of publishing at Pocketpair, believes the survival game genre has matured significantly, moving past a period of inconsistent releases. He highlights recent successful titles like Valheim, Dune: Awakening, and Palworld as evidence of the genre finding its stride.
Pocketpair’s cozy-looking Palworld Palfarm isn’t going to be like Stardew Valley, actually
Pocketpair communications lead John Buckley clarified that Palworld: Palfarm, a cozy farming sim spinoff, will differ from expectations and is not a "Palworld Stardew Valley." While it will lean into the cozier side of the IP with a "tongue-in-cheek" Palworld feel, it is still in development and more details are forthcoming.
Palworld lead thought one of Pocketpair's most iconic Pals would "fade into the background" before it unexpectedly became the survival game's "mascot"
John Buckley, head of communications at Pocketpair, expressed surprise at the unexpected popularity of the Pal 'Cattiva' in Palworld, which has become the game's unofficial mascot. While he was confident in other early Pals like Lamball, he initially believed Cattiva and Chikipi would fade into the background. Cattiva's widespread recognition, particularly in China, highlights regional differences in Pal popularity.
Palworld devs have "a graveyard" containing "hundreds" of scrapped Pals, but there was one design everyone at Pocketpair knew would be a hit
Pocketpair's John Buckley discussed the extensive process of designing creatures for Palworld, revealing that hundreds of Pal concepts are discarded. He highlighted Sekhmet as the fastest Pal to go from concept to completion due to overwhelmingly positive internal reception.
Palworld Palfarm is less like Stardew Valley than you might expect, lead says, but it "is more on the cozier…
Pocketpair's John Buckley clarified that Palworld: Palfarm is not a direct comparison to Stardew Valley, describing it as cozier and less violent than the base Palworld game. While details are scarce, Buckley emphasized that Palfarm will be visually appealing and retain a "tongue-in-cheek" Palworld feel, aiming to surprise players.
"What you're talking about is Palworld 2": Pocketpair lead desperately asks players to stop asking for features that just "aren't possible" like terrain digging
Pocketpair's head of publishing, John Buckley, expressed frustration with player requests for features like terrain digging in Palworld, stating such additions would essentially require developing a sequel. He highlighted that these requests are not feasible due to engine and landscape rework complexities, and that players should not expect them. Buckley also touched on the perceived loss of meaning in Steam's Early Access program, suggesting it has been abused.
Palworld publishing chief worries early access has 'lost its meaning' as the rise of 'hyper-casual' gaming culture means people often don't understand what they're getting into
Pocketpair's John Buckley believes the concept of early access gaming has lost its meaning due to the rise of hyper-casual gaming culture. He argues that players now often treat early access titles like finished products, diminishing the collaborative feedback loop developers rely on. Buckley suggests developers must be transparent with players about update schedules and content to manage expectations.
Palworld lead worries Steam early access has "lost its meaning": players treat it like "a normal game" and the program has been "abused for a lot of reasons"
John Buckley, communications and publishing lead for Palworld developer Pocketpair, expresses concern that Steam's Early Access program has lost its original meaning. He believes players now treat Early Access games like finished products, leading to unrealistic expectations and a decline in meaningful feedback, which he feels has been "abused for a lot of reasons."
"Palworld's not finished": With update 1.1 coming, Pocketpair lead says "we're doing something players have been screaming at us to do" after the "soft prologue" of 1.0
Pocketpair's lead John Buckley stated that Palworld's upcoming update 1.1 will address a highly requested feature that was intentionally omitted from the 1.0 release to avoid hindering its launch. He described the initial release as a 'soft prologue' and indicated that the studio is now comfortable adding features that may not have been part of the original vision.
After 6 years, the survival game Palworld studio Pocketpair "would not exist without" is finally ready to escape Steam Early Access jail – and hopefully, its "Mostly Negative" rating, too
Pocketpair has announced that its six-year-old survival game, Craftopia, will finally leave Steam Early Access and launch its 1.0 version in 2027. The studio, which "would not exist without" Craftopia, also teased an Xbox release for the same year. The game currently holds a "Mostly Negative" rating on Steam, with feedback citing it as unfinished and abandoned.
People don't understand Steam player numbers, Palworld lead says: "Poor Marathon and stuff are getting dragged through the mud ... I'm sure our day's coming"
John Buckley, publishing lead at Pocketpair, believes that the focus on Steam player numbers as a sole metric for game success is misleading. He argues that player falloff is normal and that concurrent user counts don't tell the whole story, especially for multiplatform games. Buckley suggests that Daily Active Users (DAU) would be a more informative metric for understanding a game's actual player base.
Pocketpair lead thought if Palworld 1.0 hit 200k concurrent players, "that'd be party time" – then…
Pocketpair's John Buckley expressed surprise at Palworld 1.0's success, stating that reaching 200,000 concurrent players would have been cause for celebration. The game instead achieved 960,000 concurrent players on Steam alone, far exceeding expectations and significantly impacting the studio. Buckley also discussed the development of related titles like Palfarm, aiming to cater to a broader audience within the Palworld universe.
Palworld and No Man's Sky are intensifying their months-long flirtation, and if those two don't just kiss…
Developers from Palworld and No Man's Sky, Pocketpair and Hello Games respectively, have engaged in a public flirtation regarding a potential collaboration. This exchange, involving key figures like Sean Murray and John Buckley, has intensified over social media, with both studios expressing interest and referencing past interactions and song lyrics.
