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 momentum to persist for the next four-year horizon. Despite this healthy financial backdrop, player behavior reveals a strong preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or well‑known franchises, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new titles.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 individuals across a wide range of regions and demographics. The survey highlighted a common source of frustration among respondents, who described an "unfocused middle" in the market—games that are overly generic, safe, and lacking depth, making it difficult for them to stand out in a crowded field. To illustrate this phenomenon, the report contrasted the reception of two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience that appreciated deep role‑playing mechanics and narrative complexity.
In contrast, *Concord* entered a saturated hero‑shooter segment and struggled to convince players already invested in free‑to‑play ecosystems to part with a $40 price tag. Bain’s analysis of publicly available data for 100 titles launched since 2023 reinforced the importance of focus. Eighty‑three percent of games that targeted a specific player segment achieved commercial success, compared with just fifty percent of titles that attempted to appeal to a broad, undefined audience. Player preferences for game 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 multiplayer competition—no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About 20 % indicated that their preference shifts depending on mood or that they view the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % selected “none of the above” or mentioned other, less common game types. The report identified two major forces reshaping the industry in recent years: escalating player expectations and the growing adoption of generative AI in development pipelines. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox cited as a prime example.
Bain describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the last five years, reflecting its outsized influence on player habits and monetisation trends. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate content creation, level design, and even narrative scripting. However, the report cautions that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a well‑defined target audience. As Bain puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster" if the underlying player profile is vague.
"The studios that will thrive in the coming years won’t necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks," said Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’s Video Game practice. "They’ll be the teams that, early on, can articulate their ideal player in a single sentence and align every resource—AI, distribution, personalization—around that vision." Player sentiment toward AI in game development has improved over the past twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of survey participants reported feeling more comfortable with AI usage in the industry than a year ago, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially pronounced among younger cohorts: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 indicated greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their view stayed the same. Bain argues that this shifting perception opens a window for studios worried about reputational risk. The data suggests that audiences who will shape the market over the next decade are increasingly open to AI‑enhanced experiences, provided the technology is used transparently and adds genuine value.
AI also offers developers deeper insights into player behaviour. A growing suite of analytical tools can parse engagement patterns, surface the elements that resonate most with a target demographic, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities.
These capabilities enable more precise personalisation—customised messaging, targeted advertisements, and content recommendations tailored to individual players. Personalisation has a measurable impact on spending, especially among teenage gamers.
The report found that 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 those in their 70s. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass new game purchases, in‑game items, subscriptions, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct purchases from developers’ own web stores are also on the rise. Nearly half of all gamers reported buying directly from a developer at least once a year, and 27 % said they do so repeatedly.
This behaviour is most prevalent among the youngest segment: 40 % of players aged 13‑17 made multiple direct purchases in the past year. Christofferson summed up the strategic implication for industry leaders: "The question for gaming executives is no longer solely about reaching more players. It's about reaching the right players, in the right way, and gaining greater ownership of that relationship. 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."