Global revenue from video‑game software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the past four years, and analysts expect that momentum to continue for the next four years. Yet player behavior tells a different story: about two‑thirds of gamers gravitate toward familiar franchises or sequels, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new titles. These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions and demographics.
The survey revealed a pronounced dissatisfaction with what respondents dubbed the "unfocused middle" of the market—games that feel overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to capture attention. To illustrate the contrast, Bain & Co compared the market reception of two recent releases.
Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by targeting a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated strongly with that segment. In contrast, Concord entered a saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were already invested in free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend the full $40 price tag.
Analyzing public data on 100 titles launched since 2023, the firm found that 83 % of games with a clear, focused design aimed at a specific player type achieved commercial success, versus just 50 % of titles that lacked a distinct focus. This gap underscores the importance of knowing exactly who you are building for and tailoring the experience accordingly.
Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content experiences, and multiplayer‑focused titles, no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents.
About 20 % said their preference shifts depending on mood or context, while 17 % indicated they play other types of games or none of the listed categories. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their time on a narrower set of platforms—Roblox being highlighted as the "centre of gravity" for the broader gaming ecosystem over the last five years. Regarding AI, Bain & Co observed that developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, without a well‑defined target audience, AI can merely amplify the speed of a misguided bet: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm argues that the studios that will thrive in the coming years won’t necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that commit early to building for a player they can describe in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past year. Forty‑two percent of survey participants said they feel more comfortable with AI usage now than they did twelve months ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven feel less comfortable.
Acceptance is especially high among younger gamers: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 reported increased comfort with AI, while 33 % said their view remained 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 analyst noted.
AI can also deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytics tools can dissect engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target cohort, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players. These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences—customized communications, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game content tailored to individual preferences. Bain & Co found that such personalization drives higher spend, especially among teenage gamers.
Eighty‑six percent of teenagers reported spending money on gaming‑related activities 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. Gaming‑related spending includes purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and streamer tips, but excludes hardware like consoles or VR headsets. The study also highlighted a growing trend toward direct purchases from developers’ own web stores: nearly half of gamers buy directly at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This behavior is most pronounced among the youngest cohort, with 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reporting multiple direct purchases in the past 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 its 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."