The global market for gaming software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the past four years, and analysts expect this trajectory to continue for another four‑year period. Despite this overall upward trend, player behavior reveals a pronounced preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward existing franchises or sequels, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new releases.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a wide range of regions and demographics. The survey uncovered a widespread sense of disappointment with what respondents dubbed the "unfocused middle" of the market—titles that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, lacking a distinctive identity that would capture attention.
To illustrate the impact of focus versus diffusion, Bain & Co compared the reception of two recent games: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by zeroing in on a narrowly defined audience that craved deep, narrative‑driven role‑playing experiences.
In contrast, *Concord* entered a saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players already entrenched in free‑to‑play ecosystems to part with a $40 purchase price. The comparison underscores the advantage of targeting a specific player segment rather than attempting to appeal to everyone. When the firm examined public data on a hundred titles launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced this point. A striking 83 % of games that were purposefully aimed at a particular player type achieved commercial success, whereas only half (50 %) of the more broadly marketed, unfocused titles reached similar financial outcomes.
Player preferences across genres are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they favored—story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox environments with user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer—no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About 20 % indicated that their choice varied depending on mood or that the categories were roughly equal for them, while 17 % either selected "none of the above" or mentioned other, less common game types.
The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating more of their playtime on a limited set of platforms, with Roblox highlighted as a central hub that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years.
On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain & Co warns that without a crystal‑clear target audience, AI merely amplifies the speed of a misguided bet: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm predicts that the studios that will thrive in the coming years won’t necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks. Instead, success will belong to teams that, early on, define their player in a single, concise sentence and align every resource—AI, distribution, personalization—behind that definition. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI’s role in the industry than they did a year ago, another 44 % say their comfort level is unchanged, and fewer than one in seven express increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 report greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % say their view remains 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 noted. The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences.
Emerging analytics tools can sift through engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players. Personalization extends beyond analytics. Tailored offers—customized messaging, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game content—have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenage players.
In fact, 86 % of teenagers reported making at least one gaming‑related purchase each month, compared with just over half of players in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of individuals 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 gamers said they bought directly from a developer at least once in the past year, and 27 % reported doing so repeatedly. The trend is most pronounced among younger gamers: 40 % of those aged 13‑17 made multiple direct purchases over the last twelve months. Anders Christofferson, global lead of Bain & Co’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, "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."