The worldwide 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 expect that momentum to continue for the next four-year period. Despite this overall growth, player behavior shows a strong preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles that feel known, while only one in five actively looks for brand‑new games. These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions and demographics. The survey revealed a recurring complaint about what the firm calls the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate the point, Bain compared the reception of two recent releases: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by targeting a highly specific audience – fans of deep, narrative‑driven role‑playing experiences – and it quickly built a passionate community around that niche. In contrast, Concord entered an already crowded hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on a new title.
The comparison underscores a broader trend identified by Bain: focus matters. When the consultancy examined public data for 100 games launched since 2023, it found that 83 % of titles that were clearly aimed at a particular player segment achieved commercial success, versus just 50 % of games that lacked a defined target audience. This stark difference highlights the commercial risk of trying to appeal to everyone.
Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they most enjoy – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition – 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 three categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they prefer other or no specific type of game.
Bain also identified two major forces shaping the industry today: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI. The report notes that younger gamers are concentrating their time on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox highlighted as a new "centre of gravity" for the 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 cautions that AI alone does not mitigate risk if the underlying game concept lacks a clear player focus: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The consultancy predicts 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 a game for a player they can describe in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has become more positive over the past twelve months. Forty‑two percent of survey participants said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in games than they did a year ago, another 44 % felt unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially strong among younger gamers: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their view remained 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 spokesperson explained.
The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers' insights into player behaviour. Emerging analytics tools can parse engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities. These capabilities enable highly personalised experiences, from customized communications and advertisements to in‑game content tailored to individual preferences.
Bain’s research shows that personalization can boost spending, especially among teenage players. 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. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscriptions, and tips for streamers, but they exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
The report also found that nearly half of all gamers buy directly from developers’ own web stores at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer trend is most pronounced among younger players, with 40 % of those aged 13‑17 reporting 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’s Video Game sector and partner in its Media & Entertainment practice. 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."