The worldwide market for video‑game software has been expanding at an average annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to continue for the next four‑year period. Yet, despite this steady financial expansion, player behaviour remains surprisingly conservative: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward familiar franchises or sequels, and merely 20 % actively look for brand‑new titles.
These insights come from the latest annual Gaming Report produced by Bain & Company, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions and demographics. The survey revealed a pronounced dissatisfaction with what respondents termed the “unfocused middle” of the market—games that feel overly generic, safe, or shallow and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co contrasted the reception of two recent releases. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience that craved deep role‑playing experiences, while *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the product.
The data underscores a broader pattern: when developers target a specific player archetype, the odds of commercial success rise dramatically. Examining a sample of 100 titles launched since 2023, the consultancy found that 83 % of games with a clear, focused design achieved profitable outcomes, compared with just 50 % of titles that lacked a distinct target audience. This disparity highlights the strategic advantage of knowing exactly who you are building for. Player preferences for genre and experience are also highly fragmented.
When asked which type of gameplay they preferred—story‑driven narratives, 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 depends on mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they favour other, less common game types. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their time on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as the emerging "centre of gravity" for the entire gaming ecosystem over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, Bain & Co cautions that technology alone does not mitigate risk unless it is paired with a well‑defined player profile. As the firm puts it, AI can "scale the wrong bet faster" if the underlying concept is unfocused. "The studios that will thrive in the coming years won’t necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks," said Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’s Video Game practice. "They’ll be the teams that, early on, commit to building for a player they can describe in a single sentence." Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI usage than they did a year ago, another 44 % remain unchanged, and fewer than one in seven express increased discomfort. Acceptance is strongest among the youngest cohort: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 report heightened comfort with AI, while 33 % say their view is unchanged. This shift suggests a window of opportunity for studios concerned about reputational risk.
According to Bain, the data indicates that “the window to move is open, particularly with the audiences who will define the market over the next decade.” Beyond risk mitigation, AI offers concrete benefits for understanding and engaging players. A growing suite of analytical tools can dissect engagement patterns, surface the elements that resonate with a target demographic, and create tighter feedback loops between developers and their communities.
These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences, from bespoke marketing messages to tailored in‑game offers. Personalisation appears to translate directly into spending.
The report notes that teenagers are the most active spenders, with 86 % indicating they purchase gaming‑related items each month. This contrasts with just over half of players in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s.
"Gaming‑related activities" encompass buying new titles, downloadable content, subscriptions, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct purchases from developers’ own storefronts are also on the rise.
Nearly half of all gamers reported buying at least once a year directly from a developer’s website, and 27 % said they do so repeatedly. The tendency is strongest among younger players: 40 % of those aged 13‑17 made multiple direct purchases in the previous year. Christofferson summed 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 added that studios pulling ahead are those that have deliberately defined their audience and aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—to serve that specific group.