The worldwide market for gaming software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts expect this trajectory to persist for the next four-year period. Despite this healthy financial outlook, player behavior tells a different story: roughly two‑thirds of gamers gravitate toward familiar franchises or sequels, while merely 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 the firm describes as the "unfocused middle" of the market—games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, lacking a distinctive identity that would capture player interest. To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co contrasted the reception of two recent releases.
"Baldur’s Gate 3" succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated strongly with that segment. In contrast, "Concord" entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the product. The comparison underscores the importance of a clear target demographic. Analyzing public data for 100 titles launched since 2023, Bain & Co found that 83 % of games that were deliberately aimed at a specific player type achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the unfocused titles reached comparable performance.
This stark gap highlights the commercial advantage of a well‑defined design and marketing strategy. Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When respondents were asked to choose between story‑driven experiences, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, and multiplayer‑focused titles, no single category captured more than 26 % of votes. About 20 % said their preference varied depending on mood or the particular game, and 17 % selected "none of the above" or offered alternative categories, indicating a diverse and fluid taste landscape.
The report identified two major forces reshaping the industry: rising player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a limited set of platforms—Roblox being a prime example. Bain & Co describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years, reflecting how a single platform can dominate attention and spending.
On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative technologies to accelerate production pipelines. However, the firm cautions that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless there is a clear player target. As one Bain analyst put it, "AI lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firms that will thrive in the coming years are expected to be those that, earlier than their rivals, commit to building for a player they can describe in a single sentence, rather than those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI tools. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the last twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers reported feeling more comfortable with AI usage than a year ago, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. The trend is especially pronounced among younger players: 59 % of those aged 13‑17 indicated greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % reported no change. Bain & Co interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about reputational risk. "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," the report states.
Moreover, AI can enhance developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytics tools can dissect engagement patterns, highlight what resonates with specific segments, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and communities. Personalisation, powered by AI, extends beyond analytics. Tailored offers—customized communications, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game content—have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenage players.
In the survey, 86 % 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. These activities encompass purchases of new games, downloadable content, subscriptions, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
Direct purchases from developers’ own web stores also emerged as a notable trend. Nearly half of all gamers said they buy directly from a developer at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. The propensity to buy directly is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of players aged 13‑17 reported multiple direct purchases in the past year.
Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’s Video Game sector and partner in its Media & Entertainment practice, summed up the strategic implication: "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." He added, "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."