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 this trajectory to continue for the next four-year period. Despite this healthy macro‑level growth, the underlying preferences of players reveal a more cautious appetite for novelty. According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report – which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across the globe – two‑thirds of respondents say they gravitate toward familiar franchises or sequels, while only one in five actively looks for brand‑new titles. Survey participants expressed a particular frustration with what the firm describes as the "unfocused middle" of the market: games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, failing to distinguish themselves from the crowd.
To illustrate this point, Bain & Co compared two recent releases. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by targeting a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated strongly with that segment.
In contrast, Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a $40 premium price. When Bain & Co examined public data for a sample of 100 titles launched since 2023, the results were stark.
Focused games – those built for a specific player archetype – achieved commercial success in 83 % of cases, whereas unfocused, broadly aimed titles succeeded in only half of the instances. This suggests that a clear, well‑defined target audience is a far more reliable predictor of financial performance than a generic, "one size fits all" approach. Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content experiences, and competitive multiplayer, no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents.
About 20 % indicated that their choice varies depending on mood or that they consider the categories roughly equal, while 17 % selected "none of the above" or cited other types of experiences. The report also highlighted two major forces reshaping the industry: growing player demand for deeper engagement and the rapid adoption of generative AI tools. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms – with Roblox singled out as a focal point that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative technologies to accelerate production pipelines.
However, Bain & Co warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a well‑defined player segment. As one analyst put it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firms that will thrive in the coming years, the study argues, will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that can articulate their target player in a single, concise sentence and commit to that vision earlier than their competitors. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has become more positive over the past twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI use in the industry than a year ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven are less comfortable. Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 % of gamers aged 13‑17 reported increased comfort with AI, while 33 % said their view remained 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," noted a Bain & Co spokesperson. The firm also pointed out that AI can enhance developers’ understanding of their audiences.
A growing toolbox of analytics solutions can dissect engagement patterns, surface the elements that resonate most with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players. Personalisation, powered by AI, is already showing tangible financial impact. Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and custom‑crafted in‑game content have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenage gamers.
In fact, 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 players in their 70s. These purchases encompass new games, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. The report further discovered that almost 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 behaviour is most pronounced among the youngest cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases over 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 & Co’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."