Global revenue from video‑game software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly 3 % over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for the next four‑year horizon. Yet player behavior tells a different story: about two‑thirds of gamers stick with familiar franchises or sequels, and merely one‑fifth actively seek out brand‑new titles.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions. The survey uncovered a pronounced dissatisfaction with what respondents termed the “unfocused middle” of the market – games that feel overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate the concept, Bain compared two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience, delivering an experience that resonated strongly with fans of deep, narrative‑driven RPGs.
In contrast, *Concord* entered a crowded hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players who were already invested in free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend $40 on a premium product. When Bain examined public data for 100 titles launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the point. Focused games – those designed for a specific player segment – achieved commercial success in 83 % of cases, whereas only half (50 %) of unfocused, broadly‑targeted titles reached similar financial outcomes. Player preferences for game genres are equally fragmented.
When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox experiences with user‑generated content, or multiplayer‑centric titles, no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About 20 % said their choice varies with mood or that they treat the three categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they prefer other or undefined types of games.
The report also highlighted two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player demand and the rapid adoption of generative AI. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms – with Roblox singled out as the "centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. Regarding AI, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain cautioned that without a 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 winners in the coming years will not be the studios with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that can articulate their ideal player in a single sentence and commit to that vision earlier than competitors.
Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has softened over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI’s role in development than they did a year ago, 44 % remain unchanged, and fewer than one in seven report increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among teens: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 say they are more comfortable with AI this year, while 33 % say their view has stayed 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 spokesperson explained. The firm also noted that AI can provide deeper insights into player behaviour. Emerging analytics tools can parse engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target demographic, and create tighter feedback loops between developers and their communities. These capabilities enable highly personalised offers – customized communications, targeted advertising, and bespoke in‑game content tailored to individual players.
Bain’s research shows that such personalization drives higher spending, especially among younger gamers. Eighty‑six percent of teenagers report 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 exclude hardware like consoles or VR headsets.
Notably, 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 trend is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of players aged 13‑17 reported 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," said Anders Christofferson, global lead of Bain’s Video Game sector and partner in its Media & Entertainment practice. "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."