History UncertainAudience / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'': One common criticism of the game is that it can't seem to decide if it's premise should be played for laughs, or tragedy, with the irreverent antics of the Squad conflicting with the overall narrative of the world's greatest heroes being forced to fight for the very evil they once opposed, as plenty of extra material showed the League members the Squad opposes [[spoiler:and slays]] as genuinely noble people beforehand, yet the game itself seems to make light of most of [[spoiler:their deaths]] with the exception of [[spoiler: Batman and Wonder Woman]]. Furthermore, the choice to have the game set in the Arkhamverse, despite not having any of the recognisable mechanics of that series, and instead being based around the polarizing "looter shooter" model, left many scratching their heads over why they even bothered to do that.

* ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'': One common criticism of the game is that it can't seem to decide if it's premise should be played for laughs, or tragedy, with the irreverent antics of the Squad conflicting with the overall narrative of the world's greatest heroes being forced to fight for the very evil they once opposed, as plenty of extra material showed the League members the Squad opposes [[spoiler:and slays]] as genuinely noble people beforehand, yet the game itself seems to make light of most of [[spoiler:their deaths]] with the exception of [[spoiler: Batman and Wonder Woman]]. Furthermore, the choice to have the game set in the Arkhamverse, despite not having any of the recognisable mechanics of that series, and instead being based around the polarizing "looter shooter" model, left many scratching their heads over the why they even bothered to do that

''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'': One common criticism of the game is that it can't seem to decide if it's premise should be played for laughs, or tragedy, with the irreverent antics of the Squad conflicting with the overall narrative of the world's greatest heroes being forced to fight for the very evil they once opposed, as plenty of extra material showed the League members the Squad opposes [[spoiler:and slays]] as genuinely noble people beforehand, yet the game itself seems to make light of most of [[spoiler:their deaths]] with the exception of [[spoiler: Batman and Wonder Woman]]. Furthermore, the choice to have the game set in the Arkhamverse, despite not having any of the recognisable mechanics of that series, and instead being based around the polarizing "looter shooter" model, left many scratching their heads over the why they even bothered to do that

* ''VideoGame/{{ARMS}}'', largely due to its very unconventional gameplay for a FightingGame, runs into the problem of conflicted appeal. The game intended to reach casual fans with its appealing characters, variety of modes, hidden lore, wealth of unlockables, and relatively simple controls. The game also wanted to appeal to competitive players with its surprising amount of depth to its combat and customization options. In practice, however, the two intentions came into conflict, as casual fans were overwhelmed by the surprisingly complex gameplay while fighting game fans didn't feel the game was complex enough for them. The game sold modestly well for a new and unorthodox property, but it didn't quite reach the leagues of Creator/{{Nintendo}} EPD's other big names like ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]'', ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'', or ''Franchise/AnimalCrossing'', and plans to make it an ongoing franchise [[StillbornFranchise were quietly shelved]], though it instead won over [[CultClassic a more low-key following]] that appreciated its unusual gameplay.
* The ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'' franchise attracts these claims. The series initially ran on [[ShoujoDemographic shojo]] tropes, with most of the games have a flowery art style with plenty of pretty boys, and a mostly female fanbase. Yet, starting with the ''[[VideoGame/AtelierRoronaTheAlchemistOfArland Arland]]'' series of games, the franchise took a 180 and a lot of TheMerch, DLC costumes, and promotional artwork would become heavily MaleGaze-y, and the games have incorporated more and more {{moe}} elements over time, though still keeping many of the shojo tropes, pretty boys and occasional FemaleGaze moments involving said pretty boys that might alienate that audience anyway. The series did go back to its TamerAndChaster more shojo-leaning roots for the ''[[VideoGame/AtelierAyeshaTheAlchemistOfDusk Dusk]]'' trilogy only to go full on in back into the fanservicey moe designs in the ''Mysterious'' games. A survey released in 2019 did confirm that even after these changes, the series fanbase remains mostly women, meaning these changes didn't even do a very good job at attracting a male audience to begin with, at least until ''[[VideoGame/AtelierRyzaEverDarknessAndTheSecretHideout Ryza]]'' increased the fanservice and caused a NewbieBoom.
* ''[[Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar: The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance]]'' isn't likely to appeal to anyone, even before they even get to the game's ''other'' flaws like its glitches and lackluster gameplay, as soon as they experience the slapdash way it retells the story of [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the show]]. Fans of the series will be annoyed by how it glosses over major story beats and outright ''spoils the final battle in the opening credits'', while newcomers to the series will be alienated by how it dumps entire episodes worth of lore on them in single-sentence cliffnotes.
* ''VideoGame/BackIn1995'' is a {{Retraux}} SurvivalHorror game in the vein of the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' and ''VideoGame/SilentHill1'', so you'd presume it's meant to appeal to players with a fondness for the classic horror gameplay style they represent. Then you learn the big twist, which in a nutshell is [[spoiler:an elaborate TakeThatAudience to exactly these people, insinuating that they're horribly out of touch, overly nostalgic, and unable to move on from outdated stuff in the past]]. People who dislike older survival horror games will obviously not be interested in a GenreThrowback with low-res polygons and TankControls, while those who ''do'' like that sort of thing [[spoiler:likely won't be amused by the insulting message the game is built around]].
* ''VideoGame/BalanWonderworld'' was created with small children as its target audience, with it having incredibly simplistic controls and level design, but its advertising was aimed at attracting the older fanbases of ''VideoGame/NightsIntoDreams'' and ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. Likewise, despite being designed to be played by children, the game is notably lacking in its gameplay tutorials and explanation of its story, requiring players [[AllThereInTheManual to look up guides in order to understand certain features and read the game's tie-in novel to understand its plot]]. The game ended up a critical and commercial flop as a result.
* The commercial failure of ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooieNutsAndBolts'', which [[FranchiseKiller ended]] the ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' series, can be blamed squarely on uncertain appeal. Established ''Banjo-Kazooie'' fans were incensed at how the long-awaited third installment of the series had thoroughly abandoned its [[CollectAThonPlatformer exploration-based platforming gameplay]] in favor of mission-based vehicle building, seeing it as the franchise abandoning its identity. At the same time, the game was full of call backs and continuity to the original games, with the game starting out on Grunty's disembodied skull escaping and attempting to get revenge eight years after ''[[VideoGame/BanjoTooie Tooie]]''; this left potential newer fans disinterested at best and confused at worst. To add to the uncertainty, the new character L.O.G. explicitly and simultaneously insults both the old style of gameplay and gamers at the time in the prologue, calling the former "painful to watch" and saying the latter "just want to shoot things." The game was fairly well-received by critics, and some players begrudgingly admit the gameplay is fun, but most admit that the game should've been marketed as a new IP at best or a spin-off at the very least.
* ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'' failed in part because it couldn't win over FirstPersonShooter[=/=][[MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena MOBA]] fans. MOBA fans were turned off by the game's first person perspective, which they found constraining and ill-suited for executing MOBA-like strategies compared to the typical top-down perspective from a MOBA like ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''. Conversely, shooter fans were turned off by the MOBA mechanics, which they felt added unnecessary complexity and placed less emphasis on actual shooting.
* ''VideoGame/BattlefieldV'' became such a divisive title in the ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' series because developer Creator/{{DICE}} struggled to reconcile its gameplay and aesthetics. The more tactical gameplay with reduced ammo capacity and scaled down health regeneration was supposed to appeal to the hardcore gamers. At the same time, it had wacky cosmetics that were supposed to draw in mainstream audiences, specifically the ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' crowd. Likewise, the game had modes like Firestorm and the now-cancelled 5v5 mode, which were attempts to cash in on the {{Battle Royale|Game}} and eSports trends, respectively. Unfortunately, the game failed to fully satisfy any demographic with casual audiences frustrated by the high difficulty curve and the grim tone that replicated the somberness of its predecessor ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'' but without the exotic {{Steampunk}} weaponry and gadgets that set ''[=BF1=]'' apart from other generic historical shooters; hardcore gamers alienated by the juvenile cosmetics and PoliticallyCorrectHistory approach that clashed with the serious UsefulNotes/WorldWarII mood; and veteran ''Battlefield'' fans were frustrated by the developers for chasing trends at the expense of the franchise's traditional gameplay and aesthetics.
* ''VideoGame/BlazingAries'': On one hand, since it's an HGame, part of its main demographic might be interested in part of the risque scenes. However, the problem with that is most of them are locked after the second part of the first chapter... and the first part of the first chapter is notorious for being EarlyGameHell, thus frustrating those who came for the fanservice and alienating them at worse. It only gets worse from there, since the game [[SurpriseDifficulty surprisingly difficult for an eroge]] even on ''the easiest setting''. Then there are those who came for the gameplay but were alienated by the fanservice elements (being an eroge and all), who also voiced complaints about the game being unable to decide what kind of ActionRPG it is (for example, the combo-based gameplay system might be inspired from the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', but some of the bosses tend to discourage combos) and vice versa. Notably, the FANZA and Platform/{{Steam}} versions of ''Blazing Aries'' had the normal difficulty ''[[DifficultyByRegion nerfed]]'', particularly due to these complaints, and [[SelfCensoredRelease the removal of sex scenes for the international versions, not to mention a family-friendly option]], which would normally attract complaints, is seen as a ''blessing'' by this crowd since it allows the game to have a more distinct identity.
* ''VideoGame/BleedingEdge'' suffered from Creator/NinjaTheory not having a clear vision of what sort of game they wanted to create. ''Bleeding Edge'' originally started off as a fighting game, but during its development, Ninja Theory decided to change it into a [[MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena MOBA]], and then into a HeroShooter. As a result, the game incorporated gameplay elements from all three genres, with none of them working well together. The game was simply too unconventional and bloated for a fan of any one of the three game genres to be interested.
* One of the problems with the original ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' was that it didn't seem to be sure whether it was a straight {{Deconstruction}} of [=RPGs=] and first-person shooters, a {{Parody}} of the same, or [[DeconstructiveParody something in-between]]. As such, it came off as a ShallowParody, which limited its appeal. [[VideoGame/Borderlands2 The sequel]] ratcheted the comedy and the parody up, which made it DenserAndWackier, but gave it a much clearer idea of its own identity, and it found its audience that way.
* ''VideoGame/ChibiRobo: Zip Lash'' was part of a franchise that had always been, at best, a CultClassic -- small but devoted fanbase, very little general awareness, the usual. ''Zip Lash'' was intended to save the series by bringing in new fans, by way of a [[Platform/Nintendo3DS 3DS]] release and a GenreShift from an explorative 3D platformer with the premise of going around a house and helping out the family there to a sidescrolling 2D platformer with the premise of saving the world by going through fairly standard environments. Longtime fans were angered that the series had so thoroughly abandoned its aesthetic and identity, while general audiences weren't familiar with the character and just saw it as a generic 2D platformer on a handheld that already had a surfeit of well-received games of that type. Unsurprisingly, [[FranchiseKiller the game bombed hard]].
* The considerable underperformance of ''VideoGame/DayZ'' as a standalone game could be half attributed to its uncertain audience (the other half being [[ObviousBeta its infamously barebones launch]]). Making a standalone version of a beloved, if [[PerpetualBeta technically volatile]] zombie-themed ''VideoGame/{{ARMA}}'' mod seemed like a straightforward path to success, but a significant hurdle came in the form of just how variable the ''[=DayZ=]'' mod had become. Many different servers [[GameplayDerailment added their own variations for different styles of gameplay]] beyond the original SurvivalSandbox, such as communal base-building, fighting enemy hordes, or [[BattleRoyaleGame PVP battle royales]], meaning that a ''[=DayZ=]'' game meant entirely different things to many people. The standalone version -- as a partial consequence of being released too early -- [[MasterOfNone couldn't commit to any one of these visions]], leaving newcomers disappointed while preexisting ''[=DayZ=]'' fans fell into an unholy mix of "ItsTheSameNowItSucks" and "TheyChangedItNowItSucks", causing the game's momentum to drop off like a cliff.
* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6'' tried to market itself as more tournament-friendly and appealing to western sensibilities, doing so by going TamerAndChaster and reducing the amount of {{Fanservice}} in the game, i.e. going against its core identity, and the reason the ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' series built its fame, in an aspiration to reach [=eSports=] and [[MediaNotes/FightingGameCommunity EVO]]. Then director Yohei Shimori would [[FlipFlopOfGod flip-flop between statements]], stating that ''nothing'' changed later, only to go back to the old, [[MasterOfTheMixedMessage confusing a lot of people]]. It was controversial, to say the least, and in fact said controversy often [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed the game itself]]. Unfortunately, any attempt to reach the big leagues failed, for two reasons: The first was the infamous "Core Values" incident where ''[=DOA6=]'' was taken off-stream in the middle of the tournament at EVO Japan 2019, because it got too sexual with the use of female models shaking their breasts and butts to mimic the game. Then, when the lineup of EVO 2019 in North America, comparable to the Super Bowl of fighters, was announced, ''Dead or Alive 6'' wasn't there. Effectively, all the effort and controversy was [[AllForNothing for nothing]], as it was effectively damned to its niche status, getting passed up for other niche but more respected games like ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'' and ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', and its direct competitor ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', a game that ''didn't'' suffer from this trope as it went about its own way with zero confusion, incidentally a HotterAndSexier one. The fact is, the game tried to appease everyone, but did the polar opposite instead.

* Unclear audience was a big contributor to ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'''s divisive reception (more so in terms of plot, tone and characterization than gameplay). ''[=DmC=]'' has a notably DarkerAndEdgier tone and attempts to deal with some much heavier topics than [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry the original continuity]]; while the latter does have some serious and dramatic moments, overall the games tend to be more campy and whimsical. Creator/NinjaTheory were specifically instructed to make a 'different' ''Devil May Cry'' game, but the end result is that ''[=DmC=]'' bears little resemblance to the rest of the franchise and either doesn't use any of the classic characters or radically changes them. Many fans of the original games weren't onboard because it was InNameOnly, while the ''Devil May Cry'' title may have been off-putting to potential players who ''were'' into what ''[=DmC=]'' has to offer, resulting in ''[=DmC=]'' underselling in some markets. To this day, it's common to hear players say stuff like "It's not a bad game ''per se'', just not a good ''Devil May Cry'' game." The game underperforming previous installments in sales prompted Creator/{{Capcom}} to {{Unreboot}} the series with ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' in 2019, which proved to be a critical and commercial success.

* ''VideoGame/FantasyStrike'' is a FightingGame whose main selling point is its accessibility to newcomers thanks to simplified controls and short combos. This is reinforced by its free-to-play business model letting anyone try the game out without having to worry about wasting money. But said [=F2P=] model is unusual in that all characters are unlocked from the start, but the only modes that can be played are training and online fights against random opponents. Anything else, including ''the ability to play against your friends or bots'', [[{{Freemium}} is locked behind the purchase of a "Core Pack" DLC]], so any actual fighting game newcomers who try the game out have a 99% chance of fighting a seasoned veteran who will kick their ass. While ''FS'' does have a niche fandom, the innate contradictions of its business model led to [[https://steamcharts.com/app/390560#All rapidly-dwindling player numbers]] after the game became free.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' tends to have this issue because of the changes it made to the setting and gameplay. Being a CreatorDrivenSuccessor and loose NonLinearSequel to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', one of the most beloved TurnBasedStrategy out there, it had to deal with the expectations of the fans coming in who loved the original game, while trying to get newcomers into the game. Fans of the original ''Tactics'' hated how the game was more child friendly and low stakes compared to the DarkerAndEdgier story of ''Tactics'', alongside seeing the gameplay as being dumbed down and suffering from FakeDifficulty thanks to the new Law system. Newcomers hoping to get in had to contend with the same L system without any experience in the game type, and the mechanics were more advanced than what newcomers to the genre expected, alongside the name making it seem like a sequel of sorts. The result was that ''Tactics'' fans hated the game for not being like the original, while new fans couldn't get in as easily as the title seemed to want to do, causing it to have a largely negative reputation for a long time.
** A major reason why ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy2015'' ended up being a disappointment financially for Creator/SquareEnix was that the game's console port didn't seem clear on who it was designed for; [=eSports=] fans, or ''VideoGame/{{Dissidia|FinalFantasy}}'' veterans. The game was clearly designed to appeal to the [=eSports=] crowd with its usage of "Classes", removal of the RPG mechanics such as leveling up, the streamlined summoning system and character builds, and 3v3 matches, something that apparently was wanted by Square Enix. At the same time, they wanted to attract fans of the previous games, so they included a story mode that acted as a follow-up to the previous game's story, included some returning characters like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Kain]], and announced they wanted to bring all of the previously playable characters back, plus they added new characters like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics Ramza]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis]]. Sadly, the game's inability to appeal to either groups backfired: the game never saw any light as an [=eSports=] fixture due to its technical problems, poor gameplay balance, and the limited customization for characters, and failed to appeal to the MediaNotes/FightingGameCommunity (where it was more likely to get success as an esport) because it required three players per team rather than the traditional 1v1 format, which anyone remotely familiar with tournaments will realize would make it impossible for matches to happen on time even if enough people managed to find teams. Meanwhile, longtime fans hated the changes since they removed the RPG mechanics, forced those who played for the story and characters to have to grind to unlock more of it, and also hated how bare-bones the game's content was, especially the barely-there story that, once you removed the forced grinding, was really short. The result was that the game was discontinued only after roughly 1.5 years, and the plans for a larger roster never came to pass.

* The [[Platform/{{Steam}} Steam Machine]] ended up being an oddity of video game hardware as it was unclear who exactly Creator/{{Valve|Corporation}} was intending to market it to. Fully released in 2015, their very concept was of pre-built gaming [=PCs=] loaded with [=SteamOS=] (a Linux-based operating system reminiscent of and integrated with their signature Steam platform) with the accessibility found in console systems. The issue lies with how PC gamers weren't exactly up for getting a pre-built extension of a platform they're already familiar with just to be suitable for their living room, and console gamers were alienated by the many, many models to have to choose from, confused by its intended purpose, and overall distracted by the mainstream options at the time of release: the Platform/PlayStation4 and the Platform/XboxOne. Not helping matters was the lack of compatible games due to running Linux (with Linux compatibility not always clearly marked), as UsefulNotes/{{Wine}} (as Proton) had not been integrated into Steam yet. In 2018, they realized it was underperforming and stopped offering Steam Machines through the Steam platform, and in 2020, Valve president Gabe Newell admitted that even after their production delays, the hardware they were pushing for was still [[ObviousBeta "super-incomplete"]] and they were too impatient to get the product out before convincing consumers why they needed it. Valve's next attempt at a Steam "console", the handheld Steam Deck, was much more successful.

* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6'' tried to market itself as more tournament-friendly and appealing to western sensibilities, doing so by going TamerAndChaster and reducing the amount of {{Fanservice}} in the game, i.e. going against its core identity, and the reason the ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' series built its fame, in an aspiration to reach [=eSports=] and [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity EVO]]. Then director Yohei Shimori would [[FlipFlopOfGod flip-flop between statements]], stating that ''nothing'' changed later, only to go back to the old, [[MasterOfTheMixedMessage confusing a lot of people]]. It was controversial, to say the least, and in fact said controversy often [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed the game itself]]. Unfortunately, any attempt to reach the big leagues failed, for two reasons: The first was the infamous "Core Values" incident where ''[=DOA6=]'' was taken off-stream in the middle of the tournament at EVO Japan 2019, because it got too sexual with the use of female models shaking their breasts and butts to mimic the game. Then, when the lineup of EVO 2019 in North America, comparable to the Super Bowl of fighters, was announced, ''Dead or Alive 6'' wasn't there. Effectively, all the effort and controversy was [[AllForNothing for nothing]], as it was effectively damned to its niche status, getting passed up for other niche but more respected games like ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'' and ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', and its direct competitor ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', a game that ''didn't'' suffer from this trope as it went about its own way with zero confusion, incidentally a HotterAndSexier one. The fact is, the game tried to appease everyone, but did the polar opposite instead.

** A major reason why ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy2015'' ended up being a disappointment financially for Creator/SquareEnix was that the game's console port didn't seem clear on who it was designed for; [=eSports=] fans, or ''VideoGame/{{Dissidia|FinalFantasy}}'' veterans. The game was clearly designed to appeal to the [=eSports=] crowd with its usage of "Classes", removal of the RPG mechanics such as leveling up, the streamlined summoning system and character builds, and 3v3 matches, something that apparently was wanted by Square Enix. At the same time, they wanted to attract fans of the previous games, so they included a story mode that acted as a follow-up to the previous game's story, included some returning characters like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Kain]], and announced they wanted to bring all of the previously playable characters back, plus they added new characters like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics Ramza]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis]]. Sadly, the game's inability to appeal to either groups backfired: the game never saw any light as an [=eSports=] fixture due to its technical problems, poor gameplay balance, and the limited customization for characters, and failed to appeal to the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity (where it was more likely to get success as an esport) because it required three players per team rather than the traditional 1v1 format, which anyone remotely familiar with tournaments will realize would make it impossible for matches to happen on time even if enough people managed to find teams. Meanwhile, longtime fans hated the changes since they removed the RPG mechanics, forced those who played for the story and characters to have to grind to unlock more of it, and also hated how bare-bones the game's content was, especially the barely-there story that, once you removed the forced grinding, was really short. The result was that the game was discontinued only after roughly 1.5 years, and the plans for a larger roster never came to pass.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Medabots}} Shingata Medarot]]'', a Platform/GameBoyAdvance remake of the original ''Medarot'', was advertised as RevisitingTheRoots with a bold new feel. In practice, it ended up being [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks too similar]] ''and'' [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks too different]] from previous games at the same time.\\\
The game was a fairly iterative sequel in a series that was already criticized for releasing too many [[MissionPackSequel similar sequels]] too fast, and not only did ''Medarot'' already have a remake (''Medarot: Perfect Edition'') on the [[Platform/WonderSwan WonderSwan Color]], [[VideoGame/MedabotsMetabeeAndRokusho the previous mainline game]] was ''also'' a remake of ''Medarot 2''. And it couldn't even play to nostalgia because the game's colorful SuperDeformed art style was wildly different from the rest of the franchise and it featured an entirely new set of Medabots different from those in the original game, which soured existing fans.\\\
While ''Shingata Medarot'' is usually considered a competent game on its own merits and the series creator [[ApprovalOfGod strongly approves of it]] despite not being involved with its development, it was a massive sales failure that [[SeriesHiatus took the franchise down with it for five years]] and is not referenced in subsequent ''Medabots'' works.

* ''VideoGame/QuakeChampions'' ended up awkwardly sandwiched between a signature style of [[VideoGame/{{Quake}} its beloved franchise]] and [[FollowTheLeader the new hotness it was trying to replicate]], and didn't quite grab fans of either. ''Quake'' multiplayer is known for its fast-paced, highly technical ArenaShooter gameplay beloved by its fans in large part ''because'' of [[SomeDexterityRequired its steep learning curve]], with ''Champions''' inclusion of HeroShooter elements driving some of the old guard off, with many fans seeing it as [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks a dumbing down player expression and making the challenges less rewarding]]. Meanwhile, expected newcomers were reluctant to join due to ''Champions'' still being more mechanically daunting when compared to more-accessible contemporaries like ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'', as well as having an identity largely based around ''Quake'' and other Creator/IdSoftware properties, which doesn't carry as much star power to modern audiences.

* ''VideoGame/QuakeChampions'' ended up awkwardly sandwiched between a signature style of [[VideoGame/{{Quake}} its beloved franchise]] and [[FollowTheLeader the new hotness it was trying to replicate]], and didn't quite grab fans of either. ''Quake'' multiplayer is known for its fast-paced, highly technical arena shooter gameplay beloved by its fans in large part ''because'' of [[SomeDexterityRequired its steep learning curve]], with ''Champions''' inclusion of HeroShooter elements driving some of the old guard off, with many fans seeing it as [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks a dumbing down player expression and making the challenges less rewarding]]. Meanwhile, expected newcomers were reluctant to join due to ''Champions'' still being more mechanically daunting when compared to more-accessible contemporaries like ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'', as well as having an identity largely based around ''Quake'' and other Creator/IdSoftware properties, which doesn't carry as much star power to modern audiences.

* ''VideoGame/BlazingAries'': On one hand, since it's an HGame, part of its main demographic might be interested in part of the risque scenes. However, the problem with that is most of them are locked after the second part of the first chapter... and the first part of the first chapter is notorious for being EarlyGameHell, thus frustrating those who came for the fanservice and alienating them at worse. It only gets worse from there, since the game [[SurpriseDifficulty surprisingly difficult for an eroge]] even on ''the easiest setting''. Then there are those who came for the gameplay but were alienated by the fanservice elements (being an eroge and all), who also voiced complaints about the game being unable to decide what kind of ActionRPG it is (for example, the combo-based gameplay system might be inspired from the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', but some of the bosses tend to discourage combos) and vice versa. Notably, the FANZA and Platform/{{Steam}} versions of ''Blazing Aries'' had the normal difficulty ''[[DifficultyByRegion nerfed]]'', particularly due to these complaints, and [[BleachedUnderpants the removal of sex scenes for the international versions, not to mention a family-friendly option]], which would normally attract complaints, is seen as a ''blessing'' by this crowd since it allows the game to have a more distinct identity.

* An issue that hit ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'' fairly hard is that it wasn't quite sure if it wanted to be a game for little kids, or a game for older fans of animation. It was certainly that older crowd that was most interested in the possibility of a DarkerAndEdgier WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse, which was the game's original pitch, but the game itself turned out to be rather easy and shallow, with most of the creepy imagery and deconstructive elements shown off in those early promotional materials [[NeverTrustATrailer now absent]]. The young children the game now seemed designed towards, however, would likely be put off by the focus on a character whose only particularly memorable showing in years was in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', even before the game's plot, which hinges on fans being at least passingly familiar with [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts very old Mickey Mouse shorts]] and the significance behind the character of WesternAnimation/OswaldTheLuckyRabbit.

* ''VideoGame/{{Roblox}}'' is a platform intended for younger audiences, but it also has a massive PeripheryDemographic in no thanks to the potential to "Be Anything, Build Anything!", with major successes like ''VideoGame/PhantomForces'', ''VideoGame/JailbreakRoblox'', etc. However, there are times where MultipleDemographicAppeal or appealing to an certain audience fails: