The global 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 continue for the next four-year period. Despite this healthy financial backdrop, player behavior tells a different story: about two‑thirds of gamers gravitate toward familiar experiences or sequels, while only one in five actively looks for 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 uncovered a widespread sense of disappointment with what respondents termed the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, play it safe, and lack the depth needed to stand out in a crowded field. To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co contrasted the market reception of two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*.
*Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by aiming at a narrowly defined audience that craved deep role‑playing experiences, whereas *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter segment and struggled to convince players, many of whom were accustomed to free‑to‑play models, to part with a $40 price tag. When the firm examined public data for 100 titles launched since 2023, a clear pattern emerged. Eighty‑three percent of games that were sharply targeted toward a specific player segment achieved commercial success, compared with just fifty percent of titles that took a broader, less defined approach. This suggests that precision in audience targeting is a stronger predictor of financial performance than sheer marketing spend or production scale.
Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they most enjoy – narrative‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition – no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote.
About one‑fifth of respondents said their preference varies roughly equally among the categories or depends on their mood at the time, while 17 % indicated they either do not fit into these groups or prefer other, less common game types. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms, with titles such as *Roblox* becoming a central hub for the entire gaming ecosystem over the past five years, according to Bain & Co. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, the firm warns that without a clearly defined target audience, AI can merely amplify a misguided bet: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The analysts argue 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 those that can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and commit to serving that audience ahead of their rivals. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has become more positive over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of survey participants said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in the industry than they did a year ago, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially high among younger gamers: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI this year, 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 & Co spokesperson noted.
The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytics tools can sift through engagement data, surface the elements that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players. These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences, ranging from custom communications and targeted advertisements to bespoke in‑game content. Bain & Co found that such personalization drives higher spending, especially among teenage players.
In fact, 86 % of teenagers reported spending money on gaming‑related activities each month, compared with just over half of those in their 50s, 36 % of players in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s. Gaming‑related expenditures include purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. The report also revealed that nearly half of gamers buy directly from developers’ own web stores at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer trend is strongest among the youngest cohort, with 40 % of players aged 13‑17 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 & Co’s Video Game sector and partner in its Media & Entertainment practice.
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 personalization alike."