If I may chip in as a professional software (not games) developer... When you are working for someone else, all this (very interesting by the way) discussion is moot.
You design for whatever you are told to design, specially when starting out. I'm not trying to be rude or shoot the thread down, just point out that that is a reality you have to come to terms with if you intend to work professionally, or else you'll end burning up when your
"vision" clashes with what your employers are paying you for.
Back on track, trying to design things outside of your interests is a good training, though, one that I do too.
The idea of designing games for children, for example, is pretty neat, as it is an usually mistreated audience (since kids are stupid, games made for them are stupid too), making it very interesting to go and try to design good games for them.
Developer
