The global market for video‑game software has been expanding at a modest but steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for the next four‑year horizon. Yet the underlying consumer behaviour driving that growth is far from uniform. According to the latest annual Gaming Report released by Bain & Company, a striking two‑thirds of players admit they gravitate toward familiar experiences—whether sequels, established franchises, or titles that feel comfortably known—while only about 20 percent say they actively hunt for brand‑new releases.
The report is based on a survey of more than 5,300 gamers spanning a broad range of ages, regions, and playing habits. Respondents voiced a common frustration with what the researchers dubbed 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 & Co. contrasted two recent releases. "Baldur's Gate 3" succeeded by aiming at a highly specific, niche audience that appreciated deep role‑playing mechanics and narrative complexity.
In contrast, "Concord" entered a saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players already entrenched in free‑to‑play ecosystems to part with a full‑price $40 purchase. When the firm examined public performance data for a hundred titles launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the anecdotal evidence. Focused games—those deliberately targeting a well‑defined player segment—achieved commercial success in 83 percent of cases, whereas only half of the unfocused, broadly aimed titles met similar financial benchmarks.
The implication is clear: specificity in design and marketing pays off. Player preferences for game genre are also highly fragmented.
When asked which type of experience they favoured—story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer—no single category captured more than 26 percent of the vote. About one‑fifth of respondents said their preference varied depending on mood or context, while 17 percent either selected "none of the above" or offered alternative categories.
This dispersion suggests that a one‑size‑fits‑all approach is increasingly untenable for studios seeking growth. The report also highlighted two overarching pressures reshaping the industry: rising 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 cited as the emerging "centre of gravity" of the gaming ecosystem over the past five years.
This concentration amplifies the importance of understanding the core audience for each title. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate content creation, level design, and even narrative scripting. However, Bain & Co. warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a clearly defined player persona.
As the firm put it, AI can "scale the wrong bet faster" if studios lack a precise target. The analysts argue that the winners of the next decade will not necessarily be the studios with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI pipelines, but those that commit early to building games for a player they can describe in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past year. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers reported feeling more comfortable with AI usage than they did twelve months ago, another 44 percent said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially pronounced among teenagers: 59 percent of players aged 13‑17 said they are more at ease with AI now, while 33 percent indicated no shift in opinion. Bain & Co. interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about 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, uncovering engagement patterns, surfacing what resonates with a target cohort, and tightening feedback loops between developers and their communities. Personalisation is another lever that the firm says can boost monetisation, especially among younger players.
Tailored communications, bespoke advertising, and in‑game content designed for individual preferences have been shown to increase spending. In fact, 86 percent of teenagers reported making at least one gaming‑related purchase 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 purchases encompass new games, downloadable content, subscription services, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct purchases from developers' own web stores are also on the rise.
Nearly half of all gamers said they buy directly from a studio’s storefront at least once per year, and 27 percent do so repeatedly. The trend is most pronounced among the 13‑17 age group, where 40 percent reported multiple direct purchases in the previous twelve months.
Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain & Company's Video Game practice and partner in its Media & Entertainment division, summed up the strategic shift: "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 made a deliberate choice about who they are building for and have aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation—behind that answer. In summary, the Bain & Company Gaming Report paints a picture of an industry at a crossroads. Growth continues, but it is increasingly driven by titles that speak directly to a narrowly defined audience, employ AI thoughtfully, and personalise the player experience.
Studios that can combine these elements while staying true to a clear creative vision are poised to capture the most lucrative share of the market in the years ahead.