So, another studio recently released what they're billing as a demo for their VN. I'm sure everyone here knows who/what I'm talking about. (Hint: it rhymes with Null Tarts.) I'm not interested in bashing their actual product concept, but I'm hoping that it becomes a case study in how not to release a demo. Had they billed it as a "public alpha" and not an actual demo, then it would be fine. Instead, it looks like a bomb went off in their code base before releasing it.
BTW, if you truly want to try this thing out, as of this writing, you'll have to use "select all" in your browser to see the demo link. The "Windows" demo actually contains binaries for the Mac and Linux as well. Just getting the Mac binary running requires a bit of technical gymnastics, never mind the functionality of the game itself. *bangs head on wall*
I'm wondering if Somnova is going to put a bit more quality control into the initial Missing Stars demo release? I've been very impressed with the professionalism of their staff, not to mention they actually seem to have the necessary manpower to get it done. No demo is going to be perfect, but you want your first product release, even if it's a bare bones beta, to at least somewhat reflect the final product.
Colstan