Con Report (x3) + Yousei Update

Hey, everyone! I'm still alive! (Surprise.) Just finished San Japan, MatsuriCon, and AnimeFest, and I am tired. Had a great time, but maaan, that's a lot of dancing. XD I didn't get to run a panel at San Japan this year (going was a sort of a last minute thing), but we sold out of Jisei and Kansei. : D It's my first time selling out of games at a convention. *_* Many thanks to those who came by to buy or just chat with me.

MatsuriCon was my first time selling in Ohio, so that was an adventure unto itself. It was also my first time as a guest at a con, and I just want to thank everyone at Matsuri for being so nice to such an unknown. ^_^;; Shared a table with Painapple Teriyaki, and sold comics alongside games. Thanks to everyone who donated to the charity squirrel (long story) at the table. We raised $130 for the World Food Program. ^o^

Also ran into the first Li Mei cosplayer I've seen at Matsuricon. Almost screamed like a little child when I saw her, which was bad, because I was sitting in someone else's panel when it happened. >_> I'm still really, really excited - especially since she did my favorite outfit from the Jisei series.

And just got back from the four-day con that is AnimeFest. Wound up hosting some extra VN panels with Sayuri Studios and Matt from L33t Str33t Boys, where we had a sort of round table discussion about how visual novels are developing in the west, the state of the market, and general differences between EVNs and JVNs. It was a lot of fun, and I'm considering adding a similar panel to our regular set if people are interested.

Aaaaand a Yousei update for all you brilliant, patient readers. I think I've been saying this for a while, but we ARE nearing the end. Yousei will be longer than Kansei and Jisei combined, so it's taken a lot longer for me to write it. We've also added some other neat things (like an in-game hint system and unlockable glasses for Li Mei and Gurski) and some updates to the exploration system, which was all new code I had to figure out. On top of that, Deji has been devoting a lot of time to create some excellent artwork for you guys (see above for details). I think the endings in this game are the most satisfying (and emotional) ones yet, and I hope that you all enjoy it.

I am hoping to release the game sometime in the summer (not much summer left...), but more than anything, I want to make sure it's good. We rushed Kansei last year, and a lot of bugs popped up. I don't want to make you guys have to deal with that again. I'm considering putting the game up for pre-order with all pre-orderers able to play the beta and give feedback.

For those wondering about the poll for free things, it's because I'm working on designing the game packaging right now, and I'd like to include a nice little bonus item. Still not sure what the bonus item will be, but feel free to leave your thoughts~