The global market for video‑game software has been expanding at a modest but steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the past four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for another four‑year horizon. Despite this overall upward trajectory, player behaviour reveals a pronounced preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles that feel known, while only twenty percent actively look for brand‑new experiences.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players spread across a wide range of regions and demographics. The survey asked participants to evaluate their satisfaction with the current slate of releases and to comment on the kinds of games that capture their attention.
A recurring theme among respondents was frustration with what the report describes as the "unfocused middle" of the market. This term refers to games that play it safe—titles that are overly generic, lack depth, and fail to differentiate themselves from the crowd.
To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co. contrasted two recent releases: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded because it deliberately targeted a narrow, well‑defined audience that was eager for deep role‑playing experiences. In contrast, Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter segment and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the product.
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 reached commercial success, whereas only half of the more broadly aimed, unfocused games met similar financial thresholds.
Player preferences for genre also appear highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they preferred—story‑driven narratives, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer—no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote. About one‑fifth of respondents said their choice varied depending on mood or that they enjoyed all three equally, and another 17 % selected "none of the above" or offered alternative categories, underscoring the diversity of tastes within the gaming community. The report identifies two major forces reshaping the industry today: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Younger gamers, in particular, are devoting more of their leisure time to a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox highlighted as a focal point that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the last five years. This concentration suggests that developers who can win over the core audiences of such platforms stand to gain disproportionate influence. On the AI front, Bain & Co. observes that developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, the firm warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless a clear target player is defined. As one analyst put it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The companies that are likely to thrive in the next few years will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks; instead, they will be the studios that commit early to a concise player persona—essentially, a player they can describe in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation 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, 44 % remain unchanged, and fewer than one in seven have grown more uneasy. The shift is most pronounced among teenagers: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 report increased comfort with AI, while 33 % say their view is unchanged. Bain & Co. interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about reputational risk.
"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," the firm noted. Moreover, AI can serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface the elements that resonate with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities. Personalisation is another lever that AI can amplify.
Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and content curated for individual players have been shown to boost spending, especially among younger demographics. The report reveals that 86 % of teenagers admit to 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 gamers in their 70s.
These activities encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct‑to‑developer sales also play a notable role.
Nearly half of all gamers reported buying directly from a developer’s web store at least once per year, and 27 % said they do so repeatedly. The propensity to buy straight from the source is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds made multiple direct purchases in the preceding year.
Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain & Co.’s Video Game practice and partner in its Media & Entertainment division, summed up the strategic implication: "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 that are pulling ahead are those that have made a deliberate decision about who they are building for and have aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—behind that singular answer. In summary, the Bain & Company report paints a picture of an industry at a crossroads.
While overall revenue growth remains modest, the path to success increasingly hinges on deep player focus, strategic use of AI, and direct, personalised engagement with a clearly defined audience. Studios that can marry these elements are poised to capture both the loyalty and the spend of the next generation of gamers.