The global market for video‑game 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 at least the next four years. Despite this overall growth, player behavior remains heavily skewed toward the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles they already know, while only one in five actively looks for brand‑new experiences.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s most recent annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a wide range of regions and demographics. The survey asked participants to evaluate their satisfaction with the current game landscape and to describe the kinds of titles that capture their attention. A recurring theme among respondents was frustration with what the firm calls the "unfocused middle"—games that play it safe, lean on generic formulas, and lack a distinctive identity.
To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co contrasted two recent releases. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by deliberately targeting a narrow, well‑defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering deep narrative and complex mechanics that resonated with that group.
In contrast, Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter market and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to part with a $40 price tag. When the researchers examined public performance data for 100 games launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the importance of a clear player focus. Eighty‑three percent of titles that were built around a specific player archetype achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the more broadly aimed, unfocused games reached similar financial results. Player preferences for genre and mode 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 category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About one‑fifth of the sample said their choice depends on mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they prefer other or niche types of games. The report identifies two major forces reshaping the industry today: growing player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a limited set of platforms—Roblox being highlighted as the "centre of gravity" for the broader gaming ecosystem over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines, create assets, and even generate dialogue.
However, Bain & Co warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk if a game lacks a well‑defined target audience. As one analyst put it, "AI lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm predicts that the studios that will thrive in the next several years will not necessarily be the ones with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks. Instead, success will belong to those that can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and commit to that vision earlier than their competitors.
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 usage than they did a year ago, another 44 % say their attitude is unchanged, and fewer than one in seven express increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among teenagers: 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," said a Bain partner.
The report also highlights how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytics tools can track engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players.
These capabilities enable highly personalized experiences, ranging from custom in‑game offers to tailored marketing communications. Bain & Co found that personalization drives higher spending, especially among younger players. Eighty‑six percent 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. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but they exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
The study also revealed that nearly half of all gamers buy directly from developers’ own web stores at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer behavior is most pronounced among the youngest cohort: 40 % of players aged 13‑17 reported making multiple direct purchases in the past year.
"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," explained Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’s Video Game sector and partner in the Media & Entertainment practice.
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 strategies—to serve that audience. In summary, the Bain & Co Gaming Report underscores a clear market signal: while the overall industry continues to grow, gamers are increasingly selective, favoring titles that speak directly to their interests and preferences. Developers that combine a sharp focus on a defined player segment with the strategic use of AI and personalized outreach are poised to capture a larger share of spending and build lasting relationships with the next generation of players.