5. Pandering
I know this can be a bit of an odd thing to say, but sometimes fans are wrong. You are artists, make a game that is art. Now dont go and abuse your fans (looking at EA and Capcom), but know that you are making art for them to enjoy. Now if this game was a schlocky fighting game with fan service in mind, then listen to fans like their word is gospel. But this is supposed to be an imaginative adventure game that creates a new world for you. This is not a bad fanfiction extravaganza, and Nintendo needs to see that. Making the darker tone just because the fans demanded it, only creates a game that feels forced (Twilight Princess). To truly make your artists and writers feel like they are creating a game with their own vision, dont make them feel shackled by what neckbeards on the internet say. If youre making a character who you feel like Has an angelic voice, dont think Well the fans hate voice acting, so I better not make this character, then you're letting fans dictate your art form. Again I dont advocate the idea of game developers just ignoring fans flat out, but I believe they have the artistic right to make a game the way they see fit. We should have a healthy relationship between developers and their fans.