The global market for video‑game software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to continue for at least another four‑year horizon. Despite this healthy financial backdrop, player behaviour shows a pronounced preference for the familiar: roughly two‑thirds of respondents say they gravitate toward sequels or established franchises, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new releases. These insights come from Bain & Company’s most recent annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a broad range of regions, age groups, and platform preferences.
The survey asked participants to evaluate their satisfaction with the current game catalogue and to describe the types of experiences they value most. A recurring theme among the answers was frustration with what the firm calls the "unfocused middle" of the market.
Players described many recent titles as overly generic, safe, and shallow—products that fail to differentiate themselves or to speak directly to a specific audience. To illustrate the contrast, Bain & Co highlighted two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. The former succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined fan base—hard‑core role‑playing enthusiasts who appreciate deep narrative and complex mechanics. In contrast, *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a full $40 on a premium product.
When the analysts examined public performance data for 100 games launched since 2023, a clear pattern emerged. Focused titles—those that targeted a specific player archetype or niche interest—achieved commercial success in 83 % of cases. By comparison, games that took a broader, less defined approach succeeded only half the time, with a 50 % success rate.
Player preferences for game genres also appear highly fragmented. When asked to choose their ideal experience—whether a story‑driven adventure, an open‑world sandbox with user‑generated content, or a competitive multiplayer setting—no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents.
About one‑fifth of gamers said their choice depends on mood or that they treat the three categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they prefer other types of games or could not identify a clear favorite. The report also identified two macro‑level pressures reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating more of their playtime on a limited set of platforms, with Roblox cited as a prime example. Bain & Co describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years, drawing massive daily engagement and influencing broader market trends.
On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate content creation, level design, and even narrative scripting. However, the firm warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is paired with a well‑defined target audience. As one analyst put it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The winners of the next few years, according to Bain, will not necessarily be the studios with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI pipelines. Instead, they will be the teams that, early in the development cycle, can articulate their intended player in a single, concise sentence and then align every resource—AI, distribution, personalization—to serve that persona.
Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers reported feeling more comfortable with AI‑driven processes than they did a year ago, another 44 % said their attitude remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among teenagers: 59 % of participants aged 13‑17 said they are now more comfortable with AI, while 33 % said their view stayed the same.
"For studios worried that AI adoption carries reputational risk with their player base, this data suggests the window to move is open, particularly with the audiences who will define the market over the next decade," a Bain spokesperson noted. The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audience. Emerging analytics tools can parse engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and the community.
These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences, from customized in‑game offers and tailored marketing messages to dynamic content that adapts to an individual’s play style. Bain’s research shows that such personalization drives higher spending, especially among younger gamers.
Eight‑six percent of teenagers reported making at least one gaming‑related purchase each month, compared with just over half of players in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s. Purchases include new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct sales channels are also gaining traction.
Nearly half of all respondents said they buy games straight from a developer’s web store at least once a year, and 27 % make those purchases repeatedly. The tendency is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of gamers aged 13‑17 reported multiple direct purchases in the previous year. "The question for gaming executives is no longer solely about reaching more players.
It's reaching the right players, in the right way, and getting more ownership over that relationship," said Anders Christofferson, global lead of Bain’s Video Game sector and partner in the Media & Entertainment practice. "The studios pulling ahead are the ones that have made a deliberate choice about who they are building for and are aligning every resource behind that answer; AI, distribution, and personalisation alike."