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 continue for another four‑year period. Despite this overall growth, the majority of players remain loyal to familiar experiences: about two‑thirds of surveyed gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles they already know, while only one in five actively look for brand‑new releases. These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 individuals across the globe. The study highlighted a widespread frustration with what the firm labeled 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 that craved deep role‑playing mechanics and narrative depth.
In contrast, *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players, many of whom were already invested in free‑to‑play ecosystems, to spend a $40 premium price. By examining public data on 100 games launched since 2023, Bain found that 83 % of titles with a clear, focused target audience achieved commercial success, compared with just 50 % of those that tried to appeal to everyone. Player preferences for genre also appear highly fragmented.
When respondents were asked which type of experience they favored – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer – no single category attracted more than 26 % of the vote. About 20 % said their choice depended on mood or that they treated the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they preferred other or niche genres. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: rising demand from players and the rapid adoption of generative AI. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a limited set of platforms such as Roblox.
Bain describes Roblox as having become “the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem over the past five years,” reflecting its outsized influence on community building, monetisation, and content creation. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, the study warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless a game has a well‑defined audience. As Bain put it, AI “lets you scale the wrong bet faster.” The firms that will thrive in the coming years, according to the consultancy, 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 profile that can be described in a single sentence.
Player sentiment toward AI in game development has become more positive over the past twelve months. Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in games than they did a year ago, 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven are less comfortable. Acceptance is especially high among the 13‑to‑17 age group, with 59 % indicating increased comfort and 33 % reporting no change.
“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. New analytical tools can sift through engagement data, surface the features that resonate most, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players.
Personalisation is another lever that Bain says can boost revenue, especially among teenagers. Tailored communications, targeted advertising, and bespoke in‑game content can encourage higher spend. In fact, 86 % of teenagers 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 include buying new games, downloadable content, subscriptions, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets.
Direct purchases from developers’ own web stores are also on the rise. Nearly half of gamers said they bought something directly from a developer at least once in the past year, and 27 % made such purchases repeatedly. The trend is strongest among younger players: 40 % of those aged 13‑17 reported multiple direct purchases over the last twelve months. Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’s Video Game sector and partner in its Media & Entertainment practice, summed up the strategic implication: “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 over that relationship.” 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.”