A Space For The Unbound Delayed Indefinitely as Developers and Publisher Fight Over Funding
Upcoming slice-of-life game A Space for the Unbound has been delayed indefinitely as its developers Toge Productions and Mojiken Studio have terminated their agreement with publisher PQube following a funding dispute.
The Indonesian-based developers released a statement on August 24 claiming they had been exploited and manipulated by PQube, who allegedly withheld a third-party diversity grant awarded to the studios and used it as leverage to increase its revenue share.
PQube has denied these allegations, however, telling IGN that it has fully honoured its publishing agreement and that Toge Productions has tried to enforce unreasonable revised terms.
The statement from Toge Productions and Mojiken Studio reads: "Earlier this year we discovered that PQube Games, a UK-based publisher that we signed for the console publishing of A Space For The Unbound for western regions, had done certain things which have left us feeling manipulated and exploited, and so we have had to terminate our agreement with them.
"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 know console platform. The diversity fund was a grant fund intended to help underrepresented game developers, especially during the pandemic.
"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."
The studios said they were "absolutely heartbroken" over the matter and "clearly cannot trust PQube Games nor continue to work together". The publisher "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," they said.
PQube's response issued to IGN denied the studios' claims, however. "We have honoured all obligations of our publishing agreement and have supported Toge Productions at every stage of product development throughout their delays and difficulties," it said.
"This support has included offering significant further funding, over and above grant funding, to support development, porting, and marketing. Toge Productions have sought for some time to unilaterally enforce unreasonable revised terms to our agreement and it is disappointing that, as a result of not achieving that and despite PQube's significant efforts to accommodate this, they have sought to deal with the matter in this way. We will respond through the appropriate channels."
The remaining fallout between PQube and the developers will likely happen behind closed doors but, given their desire to speak out on the issue, there will likely be further developments down the line. Toge Productions and Mojiken Studio will also be seeking a new publisher for the western console editions of A Space For The Unbound, though didn't indicate that they have any plans on that front currently.
A Space For the Unbound was first announced in 2020 and is promised to be a relaxed, story-driven game set in late '90s Indonesia. It follows the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers and features themes surrounding anxiety and depression.
Fortnite and Fall Guys are Holding Destiny 2 Collaborations
Fortnite and Fall Guys are both collaborating with Destiny 2 to celebrate the game's arrival on the Epic Games Store.
For the first time ever, despite the opposite being incredibly common these days, Fortnite characters will appear in a different game. The Drift, Black Knight, and Oblivion skins have all been redesigned to appear in Destiny 2 as new Guardians, representing the Warlock, Titan, and Hunter respectively.
The reverse is happening too, of course, as Destiny 2's Commander Zavala, Ikora Rey, and Exo Stranger are all appearing in Fortnite as new skins. Beyond that, however ,Epic Games has also recreated a Destiny 2 map, Javelin-4, within Fortnite.
Less was said about the Fall Guys collaboration but a handful of new Destiny-themed skins were revealed for the game. "I can’t say much now, but we’re really excited to be partnering with our friends at Fall Guys on some extra special squishy offerings for fans that will be revealed at a later date," said director of consumer products at Bungie Katie Lennox via the PlayStation Blog.
Both games have featured myriad crossovers, with Fortnite in particular being an industry lead on that front. Dozens of different franchises have made appearances in the game, most recently including Dragon Ball, Star Wars, Marvel, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Fortnite and Fall Guys are Holding Destiny 2 Collaborations
Fortnite and Fall Guys are both collaborating with Destiny 2 to celebrate the game's arrival on the Epic Games Store.
For the first time ever, despite the opposite being incredibly common these days, Fortnite characters will appear in a different game. The Drift, Black Knight, and Oblivion skins have all been redesigned to appear in Destiny 2 as new Guardians, representing the Warlock, Titan, and Hunter respectively.
The reverse is happening too, of course, as Destiny 2's Commander Zavala, Ikora Rey, and Exo Stranger are all appearing in Fortnite as new skins. Beyond that, however ,Epic Games has also recreated a Destiny 2 map, Javelin-4, within Fortnite.
Less was said about the Fall Guys collaboration but a handful of new Destiny-themed skins were revealed for the game. "I can’t say much now, but we’re really excited to be partnering with our friends at Fall Guys on some extra special squishy offerings for fans that will be revealed at a later date," said director of consumer products at Bungie Katie Lennox via the PlayStation Blog.
Both games have featured myriad crossovers, with Fortnite in particular being an industry lead on that front. Dozens of different franchises have made appearances in the game, most recently including Dragon Ball, Star Wars, Marvel, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
Avatar Cut From Disney Plus Ahead of Theater Re-Release
Disney Plus has quietly removed James Cameron's Avatar from its streaming library ahead of the movie's theatrical re-release this September.
Subscribers can no longer watch Avatar on Disney+ as the film has been cut from the platform but will reportedly return to the streaming service before the release of Avatar: The Way of Water in December, per Variety. This decision may have been motivated by the fact that the 2009 sci-fi epic is returning to theaters next month, allowing fans to watch the film on the big screen ahead of the sequel.
Avatar is returning to theaters in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range for a limited two-week run starting on September 23. Audiences might need a refresher as it's been 13 years since venturing on the first trip to Pandora. The original film was a huge commercial and critical success when it was released in 2009, pulling in $2.84 billion at the worldwide box office to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
IGN's own review called Avatar "a landmark in motion picture history, a film that will be remembered 70 years from now as redefining the boundaries and possibilities of cinema much the way that D.W. Griffith's films did. It helps audiences take a giant step forward in their suspension of disbelief in what is 'real' onscreen while raising the bar for what mass appeal genre movies can be and achieve."
The theatrical re-release of Avatar is priming theater-goers for Avatar: The Way of Water, which is due out on December 16. The long-awaited sequel is set more than a decade after the events of the first film and stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, and many more.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Avatar Cut From Disney Plus Ahead of Theater Re-Release
Disney Plus has quietly removed James Cameron's Avatar from its streaming library ahead of the movie's theatrical re-release this September.
Subscribers can no longer watch Avatar on Disney+ as the film has been cut from the platform but will reportedly return to the streaming service before the release of Avatar: The Way of Water in December, per Variety. This decision may have been motivated by the fact that the 2009 sci-fi epic is returning to theaters next month, allowing fans to watch the film on the big screen ahead of the sequel.
Avatar is returning to theaters in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range for a limited two-week run starting on September 23. Audiences might need a refresher as it's been 13 years since venturing on the first trip to Pandora. The original film was a huge commercial and critical success when it was released in 2009, pulling in $2.84 billion at the worldwide box office to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
IGN's own review called Avatar "a landmark in motion picture history, a film that will be remembered 70 years from now as redefining the boundaries and possibilities of cinema much the way that D.W. Griffith's films did. It helps audiences take a giant step forward in their suspension of disbelief in what is 'real' onscreen while raising the bar for what mass appeal genre movies can be and achieve."
The theatrical re-release of Avatar is priming theater-goers for Avatar: The Way of Water, which is due out on December 16. The long-awaited sequel is set more than a decade after the events of the first film and stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, and many more.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Community Movie Being Actively Pitched: ‘There Is Definitely Going to Be One’
Fans have been eagerly anticipating a standalone Community movie ever since the series wrapped in 2015, and now it looks as though it might actually happen.
During an interview with Newsweek, creator Dan Harmon revealed that a Community movie is out there and being pitched as we speak. “There is an outline for it,” he said. “There’s a product put together and pitched out in the world. I guess that’s how real it is.
“That’s probably enough that’ll make people mad when [there’s nothing] a year from now,” he added. “It still doesn’t mean there’s going to be a movie tomorrow. It means there is definitely going to be one.”
It’s been seven years since Community aired its sixth and final season, with the upcoming movie teased long before that. And it looks as though Harmon is concerned about stringing along the fans for too long.
“The fan that Instagrams every day about Community, how can you tell them, ‘Yes, it’s definitely going to happen, but it may be between one and eight years from now’ — which is how the industry works, especially when you factor in pandemics and whatnot,” he explained.
“It just feels like psychological torture, from a fan’s perspective, to keep looking into the backseat of a station wagon and saying, ‘Who wants McDonald’s?’ And to just keep driving down the freeway. I don’t want to be guilty of causing that sensation. It just takes so long sometimes.”
Harmon has been toying with the idea of a Community movie for years, teasing it before the final season even aired. Then, fans watched in awe as the final episode ended with a title card that read: “… And a movie.” Together with an earlier quote from Abed (Danny Pudi) prompted the hashtag #SixSeasonsAndAMovie.
When the movie will appear remains to be seen, but Harmon has already openly discussed the problems he faces when bringing Community to the big screen. “Here's the biggest philosophical question: Are you supposed to service a mythical new viewer?” he pondered.
Whether or not Community: The Movie will introduce newcomers to the show or act as one final moment of fan service remains to be seen. Still, one thing’s for certain – it is coming… but just not yet.
Want to read more about Community? Check out Donald Glover’s pitch for a Community movie as well as the Community reunion that included just about everyone… except Chevy Chase.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Community Movie Being Actively Pitched: ‘There Is Definitely Going to Be One’
Fans have been eagerly anticipating a standalone Community movie ever since the series wrapped in 2015, and now it looks as though it might actually happen.
During an interview with Newsweek, creator Dan Harmon revealed that a Community movie is out there and being pitched as we speak. “There is an outline for it,” he said. “There’s a product put together and pitched out in the world. I guess that’s how real it is.
“That’s probably enough that’ll make people mad when [there’s nothing] a year from now,” he added. “It still doesn’t mean there’s going to be a movie tomorrow. It means there is definitely going to be one.”
It’s been seven years since Community aired its sixth and final season, with the upcoming movie teased long before that. And it looks as though Harmon is concerned about stringing along the fans for too long.
“The fan that Instagrams every day about Community, how can you tell them, ‘Yes, it’s definitely going to happen, but it may be between one and eight years from now’ — which is how the industry works, especially when you factor in pandemics and whatnot,” he explained.
“It just feels like psychological torture, from a fan’s perspective, to keep looking into the backseat of a station wagon and saying, ‘Who wants McDonald’s?’ And to just keep driving down the freeway. I don’t want to be guilty of causing that sensation. It just takes so long sometimes.”
Harmon has been toying with the idea of a Community movie for years, teasing it before the final season even aired. Then, fans watched in awe as the final episode ended with a title card that read: “… And a movie.” Together with an earlier quote from Abed (Danny Pudi) prompted the hashtag #SixSeasonsAndAMovie.
When the movie will appear remains to be seen, but Harmon has already openly discussed the problems he faces when bringing Community to the big screen. “Here's the biggest philosophical question: Are you supposed to service a mythical new viewer?” he pondered.
Whether or not Community: The Movie will introduce newcomers to the show or act as one final moment of fan service remains to be seen. Still, one thing’s for certain – it is coming… but just not yet.
Want to read more about Community? Check out Donald Glover’s pitch for a Community movie as well as the Community reunion that included just about everyone… except Chevy Chase.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
New Disney Plus King Kong Live-Action Series Will Explore Famous Monster’s Origin Story
A new King Kong series is in development for Disney+, with Paper Girls creator Stephany Folsom attached as the writer.
Deadline reports that the new series will explore Kong's origin story using material from filmmaker Merian Cooper's original books. James Wan's Atomic Monster Productions is among the groups involved in the show's creation.
First released in 1933, King Kong has appeared in many games and movies over the years, though never in a live-action television series. More recent projects include Kong: Skull Island and, weirdly, a cameo in Call of Duty.
King Kong's rights are famously tangled, with the Cooper estate still owning the rights to the original book; the original movie rights being owned under the RKO Pictures label, and Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal having their own stakes as well. The new Disney+ series is being made with the cooperation of the Cooper estate.
King Kong is very early in development for Disney+ so don't expect to see it any time soon. While you wait, check out what's new on Disney+ for August.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
New Disney Plus King Kong Live-Action Series Will Explore Famous Monster’s Origin Story
A new King Kong series is in development for Disney+, with Paper Girls creator Stephany Folsom attached as the writer.
Deadline reports that the new series will explore Kong's origin story using material from filmmaker Merian Cooper's original books. James Wan's Atomic Monster Productions is among the groups involved in the show's creation.
First released in 1933, King Kong has appeared in many games and movies over the years, though never in a live-action television series. More recent projects include Kong: Skull Island and, weirdly, a cameo in Call of Duty.
King Kong's rights are famously tangled, with the Cooper estate still owning the rights to the original book; the original movie rights being owned under the RKO Pictures label, and Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal having their own stakes as well. The new Disney+ series is being made with the cooperation of the Cooper estate.
King Kong is very early in development for Disney+ so don't expect to see it any time soon. While you wait, check out what's new on Disney+ for August.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
New Tales From the Borderlands Is Developed By ‘Key Alumni’ From the Original Game
New Tales From the Borderlands is set to be a spiritual successor to the original Telltale Games narrative adventure. And while Gearbox, led by its Quebec studio, is leading this new project, key “alumni” who’ve worked on the original Tales Borderlands games are also working on the new title.
In 2018, Telltale Games closed its doors in dramatic fashion, laying off most of its staff and canceling several projects in development. While Telltale Games has since been revived under new ownership, many ex-Telltale developers have gone on to work in different studios and industries.
But for fans worried New Tales From the Borderlands might be missing the input of developers who’ve helped perfect the narrative adventure genre, worry not. In an interview with IGN, Gearbox shared that key members who worked on Telltale’s Tales From the Borderlands are back for New Tales.
“We have a lot of excellent writers between our Gearbox Studios who have spent a lot of time building the Borderlands universe but we partnered with key alumni from the original Tales game,” says Gearbox director of production James Lopez.
Not only that, but New Tales From the Borderlands’ head writer is Lynn Joyce who is a doctor of interactive fiction. That means the hundreds of choices Gearbox is promising in New Tales From the Borderlands should surprise players with the numerous ways they can branch off and also converge back into each other.
New Tales From the Borderlands was announced Gamescom Opening Night Live. For more announcements, check out IGN’s rundown of every new game and trailer revealed.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
