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 momentum to continue for another four‑year horizon. Despite this overall growth, player behavior shows a strong preference for familiar experiences. According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across the globe, two‑thirds of respondents said they gravitate toward sequels or titles they already know, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new games.
Survey participants voiced a particular frustration with what the firm describes as the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and lacking depth, making it difficult for them to stand out in a crowded catalogue. To illustrate this point, Bain & Co contrasted the reception of two recent releases: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by targeting a narrowly defined audience that appreciated deep role‑playing elements and narrative complexity.
In contrast, Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to convince players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the title. By examining public data on 100 games launched since 2023, the consultancy discovered a striking disparity in commercial outcomes. Focused titles that were built for a specific player segment achieved success in 83 % of cases, whereas only half of the unfocused, broadly aimed games managed to turn a profit.
This suggests that a clear, well‑defined player persona is a far more reliable predictor of market performance than simply throwing a larger budget at a vague concept. Player preferences for genre and gameplay style are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they preferred – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox environments with user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer – no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents.
About 20 % said their choice varied depending on mood or the specific game in question, and 17 % indicated they either did not fit into any of the listed categories or preferred other types of games altogether. The report highlights 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, with Roblox cited as a prime example of a service that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem over the past five years." On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative technologies to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain & Co warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a well‑targeted concept.
As the firm puts 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 tools, but rather those that commit early to building for a player they can describe in a single, concise sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past twelve months. Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with the industry’s use of AI than they did a year ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among younger cohorts: 59 % of gamers aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI this year, 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," noted a Bain & Co spokesperson. The firm also points out that AI can provide deeper insights into player behaviour.
Emerging analytics tools can parse engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target audience, and create tighter feedback loops between developers and their communities. These capabilities enable highly personalised marketing and in‑game offers – from custom communications to targeted advertisements and content recommendations tailored to individual players.
Bain & Co found that such personalization drives higher spending, especially among teenagers. Eighty‑six percent of teens 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 players in their 70s. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets.
The report also uncovered that nearly half of all gamers buy directly from developers’ own web stores at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer trend is most pronounced among the youngest segment: 40 % of 13‑17‑year‑olds reported making multiple direct purchases in the past twelve months.
"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 personalisation alike."