The global market for video‑game 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 persist for at least another four‑year horizon. Yet, despite this healthy financial trajectory, player behaviour reveals a striking reluctance to explore unfamiliar experiences. According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report – which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a broad geographic spread – two‑thirds of players admit they gravitate toward familiar franchises or sequels, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new titles. Survey participants also voiced a common frustration with what the firm labels the "unfocused middle" of the market.
This segment consists of games that are overly generic, play it safe, and lack the depth required to capture lasting interest. To illustrate the contrast, Bain & Co compared two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. The former succeeded by deliberately targeting a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, whereas *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players accustomed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a $40 premium price.
When the researchers examined public performance data for 100 titles launched since 2023, they discovered a stark disparity: 83 % of games that were tightly focused on a specific player archetype reached commercial success, compared with just 50 % of titles that lacked a clear focus. This suggests that precision in audience definition is a stronger predictor of sales than sheer budget size or marketing spend.
Player preferences for genre and experience are also highly fragmented. When asked to choose their favourite type of gameplay – narrative‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer – no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About one‑fifth of gamers said their choice varies roughly equally across categories or depends on their mood at the moment, while 17 % indicated they either play none of the listed types or prefer other, less common formats.
The report identifies two overarching pressures reshaping the industry today: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox highlighted as the de‑facto "centre of gravity" for the broader gaming ecosystem over the past five years. This concentration amplifies the importance of understanding and serving a well‑defined audience.
On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain & Co cautions that without a clear target player, AI merely amplifies 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 will not 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 creation has softened over the past twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of respondents now feel more comfortable with AI’s role in development than they did a year ago, another 44 % remain unchanged, and fewer than one in seven express increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially pronounced among teenagers: 59 % of players aged 13‑17 report greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % say their view has 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 highlights how AI can deepen developers’ insights into player behaviour. Emerging analytics tools can dissect engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target cohort, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities.
Such capabilities enable highly personalized experiences – from bespoke communications and targeted advertising to in‑game content tailored to individual preferences. Bain & Co found that personalization drives higher spending, especially among younger gamers. Eighty‑six percent of teenagers reported making at least one gaming‑related purchase 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 purchases encompass new game titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware like consoles or VR headsets. Direct sales channels are also gaining traction. Nearly half of all gamers indicated they buy directly from a developer’s web store at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. The trend is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases in the previous year.
Anders Christofferson, global lead of Bain & Co’s Video Game practice and partner in its Media & Entertainment division, 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."