The global market for video‑game software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly 3 percent over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for another four‑year horizon. Yet, despite this healthy financial backdrop, player behaviour remains heavily skewed toward the familiar.
According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report – which canvassed more than 5,300 gamers from around the world – about two‑thirds of respondents said they gravitate toward known franchises or sequels, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new titles. The survey also uncovered a pronounced dissatisfaction with what the researchers termed the “unfocused middle” of the market. This phrase describes games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, failing to stand out in an increasingly crowded catalogue. To illustrate the point, Bain & Co contrasted the market reception of two very different releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*.
*Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by aiming at a narrowly defined, highly engaged audience that craved deep role‑playing experiences. In contrast, *Concord* entered a saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players already comfortable with free‑to‑play alternatives to spend a full $40 on the game. When the firm examined public data for a sample of 100 titles launched since 2023, the results reinforced the importance of focus.
Eighty‑three percent of games that were deliberately targeted at a specific player segment achieved commercial success, compared with just fifty percent of titles that lacked a clear audience focus. This gap underscores a broader industry lesson: specificity beats breadth.
Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When respondents were asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content experiences, and multiplayer‑centric titles, no single category captured more than 26 percent of the vote. About 20 percent indicated that their preference shifts depending on mood or that they treat the three categories as roughly equal, while 17 percent either selected “none of the above” or mentioned other types of games not listed. Bain & Co also highlighted two major forces reshaping the industry in recent years: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
The report notes that younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a smaller set of platforms – with Roblox singled out as a de‑facto hub that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines, but the firm warns that technology alone does not mitigate risk when the underlying player target is vague.
As Bain & Co phrased it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The consultants predict that the studios that will thrive in the coming years will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but rather those that commit early to building for a player they can describe in a single, concise sentence. Consumer sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in the industry than they did a year ago, another 44 percent said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 percent of players aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 percent said their view stayed the same. Bain & Co’s senior partner Anders Christofferson interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about AI’s reputational impact.
"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," he said. He added that AI can also serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target audience, and close the feedback loop between creators and players. One practical application of AI‑driven insight is hyper‑personalised marketing and content delivery. Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and individualized in‑game offers have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenagers.
The report found that 86 percent of teens reported spending money on gaming‑related activities each month, compared with just over half of players in their 50s, 36 percent of those in their 60s, and 27 percent of gamers in their 70s. "Gaming‑related activities" encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscriptions, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
Direct‑to‑consumer sales channels are also gaining traction. Nearly half of all gamers reported buying directly from a developer’s web store at least once a year, and 27 percent said they do so repeatedly. The trend is most pronounced among younger players: 40 percent of those aged 13‑17 made multiple direct purchases in the past twelve months.
Christofferson summed up the strategic implication for industry leaders: "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 concluded that studios that pull ahead are those that have made a deliberate choice about who they are building for and have aligned every resource – from AI tools to distribution strategies to personalisation efforts – behind that single, focused answer.