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 persist for the next four-year horizon. Yet, despite this overall growth, the majority of players remain loyal to familiar experiences. In fact, two‑thirds of respondents prefer sequels or well‑known franchises, while only one in five actively looks for brand‑new titles.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across the globe. The survey highlighted a pervasive sense of disappointment with what the firm calls the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to capture attention. To illustrate the point, Bain compared the reception of two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by aiming at a narrowly defined audience, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated with role‑playing enthusiasts.
By contrast, *Concord* entered an already crowded hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to part with a $40 price tag. This contrast underscores the report’s central finding: focus matters.
When Bain examined public data on 100 titles launched since 2023, it discovered that 83 % of games that targeted a specific player segment achieved commercial success, versus just 50 % of titles that lacked a clear focus. The data suggest that a well‑defined player persona dramatically improves a game’s odds of thriving in a competitive marketplace. Player preferences are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they most enjoy – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition – no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote.
About one‑fifth of respondents said their preference is roughly equal across categories or depends on their mood at the time, and 17 % indicated they favor other or niche genres. The report also identified 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 smaller set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as "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 precise target audience, AI can simply amplify a misguided bet: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm argues that the studios that will pull ahead in the coming years will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that commit early to building for a player they can describe in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI usage than they did a year ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven have grown less comfortable. Acceptance is especially high among the 13‑to‑17 age group, where 59 % report increased comfort with AI, 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 spokesperson noted. The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences.
Emerging analytics tools can dissect engagement patterns, surface the elements that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players. Personalisation is another lever that the report finds increasingly powerful. Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and custom in‑game content can boost spending, especially among teenagers. In fact, 86 % of teens 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 encompass buying new titles, downloadable content, subscriptions, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets. Bain also observed that nearly half of gamers make at least one direct purchase from a developer’s own web store each year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. The trend is strongest among younger players: 40 % of those 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.
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."