The worldwide 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 that momentum to continue for at least another four‑year period. Despite this healthy macro‑trend, the underlying player behaviour reveals a strong preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles that feel known to them, while only twenty percent actively look for brand‑new experiences.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which collected responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions, age groups, and gaming platforms. The survey asked participants to rate their satisfaction with recent releases and to describe the kinds of games that capture their interest. A recurring theme was frustration with what respondents called the "unfocused middle" – games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, lacking a distinctive identity that would set them apart in a crowded marketplace.
To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co contrasted two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by zeroing in on a highly specific audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering deep narrative choices and mechanics that resonated strongly with that niche.
In contrast, *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter segment and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the title. The comparison underscores how a clear target demographic can dramatically improve a game’s market performance. The firm examined public data on one hundred titles launched since the start of 2023. The analysis revealed that 83 % of games that were deliberately aimed at a particular player type achieved commercial success, whereas only half (50 %) of titles with a broader, less defined appeal reached similar financial outcomes.
This stark disparity highlights the business case for narrowing, not widening, a game’s design focus. Player preferences for genre and 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 one‑fifth (20 %) indicated that their choice depends on mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % selected "none of the above" or mentioned other niche genres. Beyond player taste, Bain & Co identified two major forces reshaping the industry: rising demand from players and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
The report notes that younger gamers are concentrating their playtime on a smaller set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as a burgeoning hub that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire 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, create assets, and even generate dialogue.
However, the consultancy warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a game with a clear target player. As one Bain analyst put it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firms that will thrive, according to the report, are not necessarily those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that commit early to a concise player persona – essentially, being able to describe their ideal player in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past year. Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with the industry’s use of AI than they did twelve months ago, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
The trend is especially pronounced among teenagers: 59 % of players aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI, while 33 % said their view stayed the same. Bain & Co 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," the report states.
Moreover, AI can serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface what resonates with specific audiences, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and communities. Personalisation is another lever that the consultancy highlights.
Tailored communications, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game content can boost spending, especially among younger demographics. In fact, 86 % of teenagers 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 those in their 70s.
These activities encompass purchasing new titles, buying downloadable content, subscribing to services, and tipping streamers, but they exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct‑to‑consumer sales are also on the rise. Nearly half of surveyed gamers said they buy directly from a developer’s web store at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly.
This behaviour 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’s Video Game practice and partner in its Media & Entertainment group, 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 that studios that are pulling 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 channels to personalisation strategies – behind that single, well‑defined answer. In summary, the Bain & Company Gaming Report paints a picture of an industry where growth is steady but success hinges on focus.
Games that clearly articulate and serve a specific player segment are far more likely to thrive than those that aim for broad, generic appeal. At the same time, the convergence of heightened player demand, concentrated platform usage, and the maturing of generative AI offers both challenges and opportunities.
Studios that harness AI to deepen player insight, personalize experiences, and accelerate development – all while staying true to a narrowly defined audience – are positioned to capture the most value in the years ahead.