"Who cares if there's only five people playing": Palworld community lead says you should "just play the games you like" without worrying about "dead" games

GamesSurvivalPalworld"Who cares if there’s only five people playing": Palworld community lead says you should “just play the games you like” without worrying about “dead” gamesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesSurvivalPalworld"Who cares if there’s only five people playing": Palworld community lead says you should “just play the games you like” without worrying about “dead” gamesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Pocketpair)

Palworld screenshot showing a young woman with tied-back bright red hair and purple armor petting her Pal, a large white and purple Xenogard

Palworld’scommunity lead says people should focus more on playing the games they like, and spend less time worrying about ‘dead games.’

Palworld itself is no stranger to what some call a ‘dead’ game. Around launch, it heldSteam’s second-highest active player peakof over two million players before settling these days at around 30,000 concurrent players on average. It’s less than it was, sure, but still pretty healthy.

For community lead John ‘Bucky’ Buckley, that’s just fine. In aninterview, he says everyone should “just play the games you like” without worrying about a title’s longevity - “If you finish in a day, cool.” Bucky doesn’t think “it really serves anyone to kind of push gamers to just play the same game day in, day out.” While there are some games “designed to be” long-term titles, like MMOs, most aren’t - and that’s okay.

Dead Games are a Good Thing, Actually - YouTubeWatch On

Dead Games are a Good Thing, Actually - YouTube

Dead Games are a Good Thing, Actually - YouTube

Dead Games are a Good Thing, Actually - YouTube

“A lot more people are trying to push gamers to play games that aren’t really designed to be played for months on end,” Bucky explains, going on to describe how this “push” against “dead” games can be harmful. “I don’t think you need to be pushing yourself to play the same game all the time. It’s not healthy for developers, it’s not healthy for gamers, it’s not healthy for gaming media, and it’s just not healthy for our industry.”

The community manager then points to the rise of live service games as an example of how looking at “dead” or “dying” games negatively can backfire. “The more we push this kind of narrative, the more very large companies are going to just say ‘gamers want more live service’ and we’re just going to get more of these like really soulless live service games that come out and then get shut down . . . because they’re not making enough money. We all lose in that case.”

As Bucky concludes, players should “just enjoy games” regardless of whether or not they’re considered “dead” or will be one day. “Who cares if there’s only five people playing?” I can agree with this sentiment myself - there’s only one player that matters at the moment while you’re playing a game, and that’s you. As long as you “just enjoy yourself” in the process, of course.

Palworld community lead says really, “We didn’t AI generate any Pals” and “no lawsuit ever existed” following viral Pokemon comparisons

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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4

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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

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Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

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1

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2

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5

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1

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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2

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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

3

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

4

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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