Game developers must recognize that social and cultural shifts fundamentally alter how audiences interact with virtual worlds. The rise of cross-platform communities and user-generated content has transformed gaming from a solitary pursuit into a collaborative ecosystem. Success now depends on fostering these organic player networks and understanding how gaming intersects with broader digital lifestyle patterns.

I don't think there is a black and white answer to this. Because you want to be different to stand out - but you want people to play and like your game. You have to look at the genre you're getting into and what is the current trend of the genre. Are you going into single player? If so you need to keep the story and narrative compelling. If you're going into multiplayer you need to account for everyone, not just one platform. People want to play with their friends or others and not be limited to their platform - it also allows the game to grow and reach more audiences. Surveys don't tell the whole story - play with your community and see first hand what they think and how they're interacting.

Always need to use modular design to be ready to change. But what to adjust is the problem. From user perspective, not from technical point of view. You need to know what you are doing. Game has to have it's internal integrity. Adding random stuff because some players were voting for it may kill appeal of the game. If it was just about listening to users there would be no need for game designers. You have to listen what users say and then digest it. They may complain that game is too hard but this very feature may very well be the main thing that keeps them engaged. Analytics... if game was just math, that would be the way to go, but then we wouldn't need artists that wrap the numbers into beautiful worlds. So - go with your vision.