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 healthy financial backdrop, player behavior shows a strong preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers gravitate toward existing franchises or sequels, 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 players across a broad geographic spread. The survey highlighted a pervasive sense of disappointment with what respondents dubbed the “unfocused middle” of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and lacking depth, making it difficult for them to stand out in a crowded catalog. To illustrate the concept, the report contrasted the market reception of two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*.
*Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by deliberately targeting a narrow, well‑defined audience that appreciated deep role‑playing experiences. In contrast, *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter segment and struggled to convince players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to shell out a $40 price tag.
When Bain & Co examined public data for 100 games launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the importance of focus. Eighty‑three percent of titles that were built for a specific player segment achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the more generic, unfocused releases managed to turn a profit. Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they favored – narrative‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer – no single category captured more than 26 % of respondents.
About 20 % said their choice varied roughly equally or depended on their mood at the time, and 17 % indicated they preferred other or no particular type of game. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player demand and the growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a smaller set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as having become the “center of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem” over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, Bain & Co warns that without a clearly defined target audience, AI can simply amplify the wrong bets: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm predicts that the studios that will thrive in the coming years won’t necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but rather 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 softened over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with the industry’s use of AI than they did a year ago, 44 % say their comfort level remains unchanged, and fewer than one in seven respondents feel less comfortable. The shift is especially pronounced among younger cohorts.
Among players aged 13‑17, 59 % reported increased comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their view stayed the same. This suggests that the next generation of gamers is more open to AI‑driven features and innovations. "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 & Co spokesperson noted. The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences.
Emerging analytics tools can parse engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target segment, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players. Such capabilities enable highly personalized experiences, ranging from bespoke communications and targeted advertising to in‑game content tailored to individual tastes.
Bain & Co found that personalization drives higher spending, especially among teenage players. Eighty‑six percent of teenagers reported spending money on gaming‑related activities each month, compared with just over half of those in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. The report also revealed that nearly half of gamers buy directly from developers’ online stores at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly.
This direct‑to‑consumer trend is strongest among younger players, with 40 % of the 13‑17 age group making 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 & 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 personalization alike."