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 cycle. Despite this healthy macro‑trend, player behaviour remains heavily tilted toward the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward existing franchises or sequels, while merely twenty percent actively look for 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 broad geographic spread. The survey uncovered a pronounced frustration with what respondents dubbed the "unfocused middle" of the market – titles that are overly generic, safe, and lacking depth, and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate the point, Bain compared the market reception of two recent releases. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by honing in on a very specific audience segment, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated with fans of classic role‑playing games.
In contrast, the shooter Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to shell out a $40 price tag. When Bain examined public performance data for a sample of 100 games launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the importance of focus. Eighty‑three percent of titles that were deliberately targeted at a particular player archetype achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the broadly aimed, unfocused games reached similar profitability. Player preferences for genre and gameplay style are also highly fragmented.
When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox experiences with user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer, no single option captured more than 26 % of votes. About one‑fifth of respondents said their choice depends on mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, and another 17 % indicated they prefer other or undefined game types. The report also highlighted two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms such as Roblox, which Bain describes as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, Bain warns that without a crystal‑clear target audience, AI can simply amplify a misguided bet: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm 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 can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and commit to serving that niche ahead of competitors. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has softened over the last year. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers said they feel more comfortable with AI’s role in development than they did twelve months ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among the 13‑to‑17 age group, where 59 % reported greater comfort with AI and 33 % said their view remained steady.
"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 noted. The firm also pointed out that AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytics tools can sift through engagement data, highlight what resonates with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players.
These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences, from bespoke communications and ads to in‑game content tailored to individual tastes. Bain’s research shows that personalization can boost spending, especially among teenagers. Eighty‑six percent of players aged 13‑17 reported making monthly purchases related to gaming, compared with just over half of those in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass new game purchases, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
Moreover, nearly half of all gamers said they buy directly from a developer’s own web store at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer trend is strongest among younger players: 40 % of the 13‑to‑17 cohort reported multiple direct purchases in the past twelve months.
Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’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 personalization—behind that answer.