My Target Audience and How I would Advertise

My Predicted Audience 
I would like to go for a younger market- as a lot of my peers are going for the older age range (our age; 18-25) with 3d engines. It is true I feel that as we get older we need more in our games then 2d images to enjoy if it is to avoid being a simplistic game like fruit ninja or angry birds. A better need for realism is required to keep us interested if the game play mechanic isn’t extremely simple.

The new pokemon game; Pokemon X and Y has taken this into consideration. Knowing their market of players is now older children (people who played the games when they were younger grew up). After years and years of 2d hand held games, with sprites;
They have gone into 3d pokemon which will no doubt attract audiences back to it. 

I however, feel I want to bring in a little more maturity into my game. So not so much 13-30 year olds like pokemon, but around 8-16. So something with charm, but still that cool futuristic look that wont bore older children.

Looking into other current games targeted at my market and what they have done;

Moshi monsters is an obvious one to start with. Its 2d artwork is simple, overly cute but very effective.

The amount of cute these things exude is overwhelming an puts me off highly. A boy usually  wouldn't be seen dead sat playing with this: 

And then dressing it up.

While this is all nice and cute...

it is far too 'cute' for me. The colors are bright, but painfully so...

As such, it does alienate the boys side of things in this game. As expected- the majority of players are young girls.

I would like to not delve to hard into the girly market, but keep my ideas and designs still boyish enough to be accessible to them.

One game I feel has done this well is Dragon City. A face book game which involves looking after many different types of dragon monsters. This sounds boyish, but many of the dragons are colourful and very pretty enough to appeal to young girls too, while having others that boys think are cool and tough.

They also, cunningly, allow for battles to commence. This, like pokemon, makes the game cooperative and challenging. 

I am not keen to take the battle aspect into my game, though it could be done in later development in the game. That players could battle with one another if they wish.  

How I Would Advertise

Mainly through online mediums, as it is cheap and I could target specific websites that would be aimed at my audience. Such places as FunnyJunk which you can see here are already catering to adverting for Rune Scape

 These smaller sites, though well known to younger people, are pretty much off the raider for adults. As such i would target them for my main advertising, maybe adding some in shop stuff in certain locations.

And I think it would be very good to use Expos and Conventions to full effect and to show off my game. 
This should get the ball rolling and then people would do advertising for me by word of mouth and seeing that their friends have the game and wanting to join in.