The "deliberately doom it" scenario sounds to me like an internet-fueled overreaction, but that's just my opinion. I read it, and I remember the Metroid Other M bitchery about how Team Ninja was killing Samus through sexist stereotypes.
What happened the last time a Legends-series demo came out, anyone? Yeah, that's right, it contained original content that remained JAPAN-EXCLUSIVE. I consider us fortunate as hell that the opportunity to pick it up even exists, much less that it'll be available over Wifi as opposed to some E3-exclusive kiosk that maybe 0.001% of the potential audience will have access to.
And I've said this before in other threads, and I'll say it again: I'm sad to see MMU cancelled, but not THAT sad. The fact that the previous two Classic-series games harken to 2 as the series holy grail dampens the impact of a rebranded console-based Power Up 2, and I'm more than a little sick of Classic-series games not allowing you to slide.
I think it's more of a "if people pay for this, they must truly care for the future of this series" approach, thus greenliting. Instead of downloading it just because it's free and taking advantage. I have a habit of downloading most free demos on PSN just because it's available.
It's a valid point. I downloaded Flipnote Studio for the full and sole reason that it was free.
Remember, this is Nintendo's shops we're talking about; $2 is the value they put on a Goddamn clock. On a system that A. ALREADY HAS A CLOCK, and B. you would NEVER leave open when not in use in the first place.
This is especially true if they label it a PROTOYPE or a DEMO. Normal people will go; "pay for a demo?! screw you!!"
It's a name game, and anyone who's been in sales for a month if even that will tell you that it's a valid tactic. "Prototype" and "demo" may mean the same thing to the free-thinking minority, but the mass of consumers think differently. "Demo" is a freebie trial. "Prototype" is some forbidden fruit that would ordinarilly stay behind closed doors. Hence, the game is called "prototype version".
*wink, wink*
Going along with this is the fact that it includes debug features as an unlockable.
Also on DeviantArt, Rumble, DLive.tv, and the Fediverse (@freespeechextremist.com and @bae.st)