The global market for video‑game software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts anticipate that this momentum will persist for the next four‑year horizon. Despite this healthy financial trajectory, player behaviour shows a pronounced preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward sequels or titles that feel known, while only one in five actively looks for brand‑new experiences.
These insights come from Bain & Company’s most recent annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 individuals across a broad geographic spread. The survey asked participants about their satisfaction with the current game landscape, their genre preferences, and their attitudes toward emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence. A recurring theme among respondents was frustration with what the firm calls the "unfocused middle" – games that are overly generic, safe, or shallow and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate this phenomenon, Bain & Co highlighted the contrasting fortunes of two recent releases. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience that craved deep role‑playing mechanics and narrative richness.
In contrast, Concord entered a crowded hero‑shooter segment and struggled to persuade players already entrenched in free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a full $40 on a premium title. When the researchers examined public performance data for 100 games launched since 2023, they discovered a stark divide: 83 % of titles that were purposefully targeted at a specific player archetype achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the unfocused, broadly aimed games reached similar profitability.
Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they preferred – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition – no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote.
About one‑fifth of respondents said their choice depends on mood or that they consider the categories roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they favour other or niche types of games. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: escalating player demand for richer experiences and the rapid adoption of generative AI in development pipelines.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as a de‑facto hub that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. On the AI front, Bain & Co observed that developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production cycles. However, the firm cautioned that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless a clear target audience is defined. As one analyst put it, "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The consultants predict that the studios that will thrive in the coming years will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but rather those that can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and align resources accordingly.
Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has softened over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI‑driven development than they did a year ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven express increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially high among teenagers: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 report greater comfort with AI, while 33 % say their opinion has stayed 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," a Bain & Co spokesperson explained. The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of player behaviour.
Advanced analytics 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 highly personalised marketing and content strategies, such as custom offers, tailored advertisements, and in‑game experiences designed for individual players. Bain & Co found that such personalization drives higher spending, especially among younger cohorts.
Eighty‑six percent 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. Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware like consoles or VR headsets. The report also noted that nearly 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 trend is most pronounced among the youngest segment: 40 % of players aged 13‑17 reported making multiple direct purchases in the past 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 pull ahead are those that have made a deliberate choice about who they are building for and have aligned every resource – from AI tools to distribution channels to personalization tactics – behind that answer. In summary, the Bain & Co Gaming Report underscores a market where growth remains steady, but success hinges on clarity of purpose.
Games that define a specific audience and tailor their design, marketing, and technology to that group are far more likely to thrive. At the same time, generative AI is becoming an accepted part of the development toolkit, offering speed and insight, but it must be wielded with a clear player focus to avoid amplifying mis‑steps.
For developers and publishers, the path forward involves marrying precise audience targeting with the efficiencies and analytical power that AI provides, thereby creating experiences that resonate deeply enough to inspire both loyalty and spending across the diverse gaming community.