“A Space For The Unbound” Delayed After Publishers Exploit Team
The game is delayed until further notice.
A Space for the Unbound is an upcoming slice-of-life pixel-art adventure experience inspired by a 90s Indonesian rural town, but things take a supernatural turn. It is a game based on overcoming dreaded feelings like anxiety and depression and the relationship between two high school sweethearts.
The title plays like a point-and-click adventure game and features a compelling story that follows the voyage of Atma and Raya’s self-discovery at the end of their high school year. Atma and Raya must learn and gain knowledge about a mysterious power unleashed in the quiet town that threatens their existence.
A Space for the Unbound features an immersive pixel-art experience that perfectly catches the feels of a rural Indonesian town with its vibrant colors. Explore the town, chat and interact with other townsfolk, read their minds, and learn more about this secretive supernatural power that may bring the end of the world.
A Space for the Unbound has been in development for 7 years. The team behind the project, @MojikenStudio, and @togeproductions, has been hard at work. However, A Space for the Unbound team has made a joint announcement on Twitter, calling out the shady practices of its publisher, PQube Games. The game has been delayed indefinitely due to the team feeling “exploited” by the publisher.
We have important news to share with you. pic.twitter.com/O5od8fCp4y
— A Space for the Unbound 📕💫 (@ASFTUgame) August 24, 2022
A joint notice from Toge Productions and developer Mojiken elaborated on how they signed a console publishing deal for Western regions with the publisher, PQube Games. Now, the team has indicted UK-based publisher PQube Games of exploitation, manipulation, and “predatory practices.”
The statement by A Space for the Unbound team reads that the publisher “had done certain things which have left us feeling manipulated and exploited, and so we have had to terminate our agreement with them.” It continues, “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, PQube Games used our position and heritage as developers from Indonesia to obtain a diversity fund from a well-known console platform.”
The team continues to explain that the fund was granted to help “underrepresented game developers, especially during the pandemic.” The team explains, “However, instead of giving those funds to the developers as the grant was intended, PQube Games intentionally withheld information about the grant and used it as a leverage for their own commercial gain.”
“Rather than paying the grant money to us, PQube Games hid the facts about the grant’s award and added it as a recoupable minimum guarantee, and then used it to negotiate the increase of their revenue share. We have only uncovered the true amount of these funds and their intended purposes in March 2022.”
The statement stated more with the team showing distress. “We are absolutely heartbroken that a party we worked with would do this, and a project we have worked on for seven years has been taken advantage of in such a way.” A Space for the Unbound also showed their distrust of PQube Games.
“Since the uncovering of this issue, we clearly cannot trust PQube Games nor continue to work together for the release of A Space For The Unbound as PQube Games has fallen considerably short not only of reasonable decency but also of their obligations to us due to these predatory practices.”
“We have to make a stand against exploitative publishers and speak up about this to stop things like this from happening again in the future. Thus, we are also announcing that we have terminated our contract with PQube Games.” The statement continues and accuses PQube Games of denying to return publishing control on console platforms.
“It is with a heavy heart that we must hold back the release of A Space For The Unbound so that we can make new arrangements and ensure that it is published as intended and in a way that is consistent with our and our community’s values.” The game is delayed indefinitely until further notice.
Moreover, the team also made another announcement, asking the community not to review-bomb or harass the publisher since it is not condoned. Moreover, such a gesture will only hurt the developers who created the game more. The community fully supports the affected developers and hopes the funds are returned.
PQube Games has not made an official response at the time of writing. What are your thoughts regarding this situation? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.
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