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 anticipate that this momentum will continue for the next four-year cycle. Yet, despite this healthy financial trajectory, player behavior reveals a pronounced preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers gravitate toward titles they already know or sequels to existing franchises, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new experiences.
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 asked participants to evaluate their satisfaction with the current game landscape and to describe the types of experiences that most capture their interest. A recurring theme among respondents was frustration with what the firm termed the "unfocused middle" of the market—games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, failing to distinguish themselves from the crowd. To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain compared two recent releases.
"Baldur’s Gate 3" succeeded by zeroing in on a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering deep narrative and complex mechanics that resonated strongly with that segment. In contrast, "Concord" entered a saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were already entrenched in free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a full $40 on a premium title. When the researchers examined public performance data for 100 games launched since 2023, they discovered a stark disparity: 83 % of titles that were deliberately targeted at a specific player archetype reached commercial success, whereas only half of the broadly aimed, unfocused games managed to turn a profit.
This finding underscores the growing importance of precision in audience definition. Player preferences for genre and play style are also highly fragmented. When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content experiences, and multiplayer‑focused titles, no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About 20 % indicated that their choice varies with mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % selected "none of the above" or offered alternative categories, highlighting the diversity of tastes within the gaming community.
The report identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI technologies. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox cited as a prime example.
Bain describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years, drawing massive daily engagement and influencing broader market dynamics. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines, create assets, and even generate narrative content. However, Bain cautions that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a clearly defined target audience. As the firm puts it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The analysts predict 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 for a player persona that can be described in a single, concise sentence.
Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past twelve months. Forty‑two percent of survey participants reported feeling more comfortable with the industry's use of AI than they did a year ago, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 indicated greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their opinion stayed the same. Bain’s senior partner Anders Christofferson interprets these findings as a clear signal for studios: "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." He adds that AI can also serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers understand engagement patterns, surface what resonates with specific audiences, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players.
Personalisation, powered by AI, is already proving its worth in driving spend. Tailored communications, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game content can increase player willingness to purchase.
The report notes that teenage gamers are especially responsive: 86 % of players aged 13‑17 reported spending money on gaming‑related activities each month, compared with just over half of those in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s. These activities encompass buying new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tipping streamers, 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 directly from a developer’s website at least once a year, and 27 % said they do so repeatedly. The trend is most pronounced among the youngest segment, with 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds making multiple direct purchases in the previous year.
Christofferson sums up the strategic implication for gaming executives: "The question is no longer just about reaching more players. It’s about reaching the right players, in the right way, and gaining greater ownership of that relationship." He concludes that studios that pull ahead will be those that have made a deliberate, data‑driven choice about who they are building for and have aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—to serve that audience effectively.