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 another four‑year cycle. Despite this overall upward trend, player behaviour remains heavily tilted toward the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles that feel recognizable, while only around 20 % actively seek out brand‑new releases. These insights come from Bain & Company’s most recent annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions and demographics.
The survey uncovered a pronounced dissatisfaction with what the firm calls the “unfocused middle” of the market – games that are overly generic, play it safe, and lack the depth needed to capture lasting attention. To illustrate the point, Bain & Co compared two very different launches. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated strongly with that group. In contrast, *Concord* entered a crowded hero‑shooter segment and struggled to persuade players who were already comfortable with free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a full $40 on the game.
The contrast highlighted how a precise target audience can be a decisive advantage. When the consultancy examined public data for 100 titles released since 2023, the numbers reinforced the hypothesis: 83 % of games that were explicitly aimed at a specific player type reached commercial success, whereas only half of the more generic, unfocused releases managed to do the same.
This suggests that clarity of purpose matters more than sheer budget or production scale. Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented.
When respondents were asked which type of experience they preferred – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition – no single category captured more than 26 % of the votes. About one‑fifth of participants said their choice varied depending on mood or that they treated the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they preferred other or no particular type of game. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry today: growing 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 emerging as a focal point.
Bain & Co describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years, drawing massive engagement from a teen‑centric audience. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate content creation, streamline asset generation, and shorten development cycles. However, the consultancy warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk if the underlying product lacks a clear player focus. As one analyst put it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." Looking ahead, Bain & Co predicts that the studios that will thrive are not necessarily those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI pipelines.
Instead, the winners will be the teams that, early in the development process, can articulate their target player in a single, concise sentence and align every resource – from design to marketing – around that vision. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has shifted positively over the past year.
Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers reported feeling more comfortable with AI usage than they did twelve months earlier, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. The trend is especially pronounced among younger players: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 indicated a higher level of comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their opinion 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 explained. The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences.
New analytical tools can track engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and the community. These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences – from custom‑tailored communications and advertisements to content that adapts to an individual’s play style. Bain & Co found that such personalization drives higher spending, especially among teenage gamers.
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 those in their 70s. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but they exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. The report also noted that nearly half of all gamers buy directly from a developer’s own web store at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer behavior is strongest among younger players: 40 % of those aged 13‑17 reported making multiple direct purchases in the past year.
"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 the Media & Entertainment practice.
"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 personalization alike." In summary, the data underscores a clear strategic imperative for the industry: prioritize a well‑defined audience, harness AI as a tool rather than a crutch, and invest in personalized engagement pathways. By doing so, developers can not only navigate the fragmented preferences of modern gamers but also unlock higher revenue potential across age groups, with particular upside among the highly engaged teenage demographic.