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 anticipate that this momentum will continue for at least another four‑year cycle. Despite this overall growth, player behavior remains heavily tilted toward the familiar: roughly two‑thirds of respondents said they gravitate toward existing franchises or sequels, while only about 20 percent actively look for brand‑new games. These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a wide range of regions and demographics.
The survey asked participants about their preferences, frustrations, and expectations for the industry, and the findings paint a nuanced picture of a market that is both expanding and increasingly selective. One of the most striking complaints voiced by gamers was the prevalence of what the report calls the "unfocused middle" – titles that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to stand out in a crowded shelf. To illustrate this phenomenon, Bain & Co highlighted two recent releases: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering deep narrative and tactical combat that resonated with that segment.
By contrast, Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to convince players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to part with a $40 price tag. The contrast underscores a broader trend: games that target a specific player archetype tend to outperform those that try to appeal to everyone.
When Bain & Co examined public data on a sample of 100 titles launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced this conclusion. Focused games—those designed for a clearly articulated player type—achieved commercial success in 83 percent of cases. Unfocused, broadly‑targeted titles managed only a 50 percent success rate. In other words, a clear, laser‑focused design brief appears to double the odds of market viability.
Player genre preferences are also highly fragmented. The survey asked gamers to choose their favorite type of experience among story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, and multiplayer competition. No single category captured more than 26 percent of the votes.
About 20 percent of respondents said their preferences shift depending on mood or context, while 17 percent indicated they either do not fit into those categories or prefer other types of games altogether. This dispersion suggests that a one‑size‑fits‑all approach is increasingly untenable for developers seeking sustainable revenue.
The report also identified two macro‑level pressures reshaping the industry: rising player demand for deeper engagement and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a smaller 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, drawing massive user attention and spending. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate content creation, level design, and even narrative scripting.
However, the firm warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is paired with a well‑defined target audience. As the report puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The real competitive advantage, according to Bain, will belong to studios that commit early to building for a player they can describe in a single sentence, rather than those that simply pour larger budgets or more sophisticated AI models into a vague, undifferentiated product. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has warmed over the past year. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers said they feel more comfortable with AI’s role in the industry than they did twelve months ago, another 44 percent said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
The trend is especially pronounced among teenagers: 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 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," he said. He added that AI can also serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers understand engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target audience, and close the feedback loop between creators and players. Personalisation, powered by AI‑driven insights, is already proving its worth.
Tailored offers—whether in the form of customized communications, targeted advertisements, or bespoke in‑game content—have been shown to boost spending, especially among younger cohorts. The report notes that 86 percent of teenagers report 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 those in their 70s. These activities encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and even tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct‑to‑developer sales are also on the rise.
Nearly half of all gamers said they have bought a game directly from a developer’s web store at least once in the past year, and 27 percent do so repeatedly. The propensity for direct purchases is strongest among the youngest segment: 40 percent of respondents aged 13‑17 reported making multiple direct purchases over the last twelve months. Christofferson sums 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 emphasizes that studios pulling ahead are those that have deliberately chosen who they are building for and have aligned every resource—AI tools, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—behind that singular focus. By doing so, they not only improve the odds of commercial success but also foster deeper, longer‑lasting connections with the gamers who matter most to their business.