Pocketpair's John Buckley is back on his anti-AI soapbox, and honestly, he makes a fair point. The Palworld studio spokesperson has been pretty consistent on this take, but his latest comments cut straight to the chase: the people pushing hardest for AI integration in games aren't the ones actually making them. "It feels like everyone who is super gung-ho about it isn't from the industry," Buckley said, and that observation is worth sitting with for a second.
His broader argument is simple. Gamers don't want AI-generated content in their games, and developers who are close to their communities tend to know that. The enthusiasm seems to be bubbling up from investors, tech evangelists, and executives chasing efficiency gains rather than from the studios and players in the trenches. It's a pretty telling disconnect. Pocketpair, for what it's worth, has skin in the credibility game here. Palworld became one of the biggest surprise launches in recent memory by leaning into what players actually respond to, so when they read the room on this one, it carries some weight. Whether the wider industry listens is another question entirely.
Alex
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