"I know my audience!!" -- Nintendo's path to failure. Targeting the _correct_ audience is too important to skimp on or ignore -- and Nintendo missed the mark on this one. "People were just expecting something else" was the easy answer with Wind Waker's original release. However, the problem wasn't solely with Wind Waker's graphics, or whether HD Wind Waker did them better -- The problem was with Nintendo's choice of audience for Wind Waker. Nintendo has always had a habit of giving the finger to its core audience in an attempt to target a broader demographic. The "Wii" is my case-in-point on this one. Wind Waker was the original Wii for Nintendo. However, by targeting a vastly different audience (and by appearing to ignore the "old" one), we risk alienating the audience we once catered to. It's like "cheating" on your girlfriend. What?? You didn't think she'd be mad you took time out of your day for the girl from the store in the hot-pink shirt with the big boobs??? You say you were just helping her with her studies??? Did you really think your girlfriend would buy that?? Nintendo did just that with Zelda WW. In the end, for Nintendo, the girl in the hot-pink shirt turned out to be a pretty cool chick despite her appearance and she became friends with their current girlfriend too so that even their gf turned out to like her. For Nintendo, this was no harm, no foul (as HD WindWaker proved). But if _your_ girlfriend (i.e. your intended audience) wasn't as understanding, and _your_ version of the "hot chick" turned out to be a steaming turd-pile on your relationship (i.e. a bad game that your intended audience couldn't advocate), you should expect to be left out in the cold. Just because the girl in the pink shirt is ultimately a cool chick, your (intended) audience must think this too, otherwise you're in for some long, cold, lonely nights by yourself. The facts don't lie -- If it don't work, it won't work. If you aren't fully-satisfied with your girlfriend/intended-audience, it's best to just break it off. Intent doesn't matter. In the end, you have got to find something that fits _you_ as well as _you_ fit it. Not dodging/ignoring simple facts about your game (and your audience) is always the best approach to finding your _actual_ (target) audience. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Targeting the _correct_ audience is too important to skimp on or ignore -- and Nintendo missed the mark on this one. "People were just expecting something else" was the easy answer with Wind Waker's original release. However, the problem wasn't solely with Wind Waker's graphics, or whether HD Wind Waker did them better -- The problem was with Nintendo's choice of audience for Wind Waker. Nintendo has always had a habit of giving the finger to its core audience in an attempt to target a broader demographic. The "Wii" is my case-in-point on this one. Wind Waker was the original Wii for Nintendo. However, by targeting a vastly different audience (and by appearing to ignore the "old" one), we risk alienating the audience we once catered to. It's like "cheating" on your girlfriend. What?? You didn't think she'd be mad you took time out of your day for the girl from the store in the hot-pink shirt with the big boobs??? You say you were just helping her with her studies??? Did you really think your girlfriend would buy that?? Nintendo did just that with Zelda WW. In the end, for Nintendo, the girl in the hot-pink shirt turned out to be a pretty cool chick despite her appearance and she became friends with their current girlfriend too so that even their gf turned out to like her. For Nintendo, this was no harm, no foul (as HD WindWaker proved). But if _your_ girlfriend (i.e. your intended audience) wasn't as understanding, and _your_ version of the "hot chick" turned out to be a steaming turd-pile on your relationship (i.e. a bad game that your intended audience couldn't advocate), you should expect to be left out in the cold. Just because the girl in the pink shirt is ultimately a cool chick, your (intended) audience must think this too, otherwise you're in for some long, cold, lonely nights by yourself. The facts don't lie -- If it don't work, it won't work. If you aren't fully-satisfied with your girlfriend/intended-audience, it's best to just break it off. Intent doesn't matter. In the end, you have got to find something that fits _you_ as well as _you_ fit it. Not dodging/ignoring simple facts about your game (and your audience) is always the best approach to finding your _actual_ (target) audience.

from GameDev.net http://bit.ly/2VRZhC7