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 another four‑year horizon. Despite this overall growth, player behaviour shows a strong preference for familiar experiences.
In fact, the latest annual Gaming Report from Bain & Company, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a variety of regions, reveals that about two‑thirds of players gravitate toward sequels or titles they already know, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new games. Survey participants expressed clear frustration with what the report calls the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and lacking in depth, making it difficult for them to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
To illustrate the point, Bain & Co contrasted the market reception of two recent releases: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by aiming at a narrowly defined audience that craved deep role‑playing elements, whereas Concord attempted to break into the already saturated hero‑shooter segment and struggled to convince players, many of whom were already committed to free‑to‑play ecosystems, to part with a $40 price tag.
When the firm examined public performance data for 100 titles launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the importance of focus. Eighty‑three percent of games that were built for a specific player archetype achieved commercial success, compared with just fifty percent of titles that tried to appeal to everyone. This pattern underscores a broader fragmentation in genre preferences.
When asked which type of experience they preferred – narrative‑driven adventures, 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, and another 17 % selected "none of the above" or offered alternative categories. The report also highlighted two major forces reshaping the industry: rising player demand for deeper engagement 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 a prime example.
Bain & Co describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem over the past five years," reflecting how a single platform can dominate attention and spending. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, the firm warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless the underlying product vision is clear.
As the report puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster" if the game lacks a well‑defined target audience. The analysts argue 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. Instead, success will belong to teams that can articulate their player in a single, concise sentence and commit to that vision earlier than their competitors. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has softened over the past twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in games than they did a year ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 % of players aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their view remained the same. Bain & Co interprets these findings as a clear signal for studios that fear reputational backlash from AI adoption. The data suggest that the window to integrate AI responsibly is open, particularly with the demographic that will shape the market over the next decade.
Moreover, AI can serve as a powerful analytical engine, helping developers understand player behaviour at a granular level. Emerging tools can sift through engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities. Personalisation is another area where AI shows promise. Tailored offers – ranging from customised communications and advertisements to bespoke in‑game content – have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenagers.
In Bain’s survey, 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. These activities include purchasing new titles, downloadable content, subscriptions, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct purchases from developers’ own web stores also feature prominently. Nearly half of all gamers said they bought something directly from a developer at least once in the past year, and 27 % do so repeatedly.
This behaviour is most pronounced among the youngest gamers: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases over the last twelve months. Anders Christofferson, global lead of Bain’s Video Game sector and partner in its Media & Entertainment practice, summed up the strategic implication: "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 that are pulling ahead are those that have made a deliberate choice about who they are building for and have aligned every resource – from AI tools to distribution channels to personalisation strategies – behind that answer. In summary, the Bain & Company Gaming Report paints a picture of an industry at a crossroads. While overall revenue growth remains modest, the path to commercial success increasingly depends on laser‑focused targeting, thoughtful integration of AI, and deep personalisation.
Studios that can define a clear player persona, leverage AI to refine and accelerate development, and engage directly with their audience are poised to capture a larger share of the evolving market, especially as younger generations continue to drive both acceptance of new technologies and spending power.