The worldwide market for gaming software has been expanding at a steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the past four years, and analysts expect this momentum to continue for another four‑year stretch. Despite this overall growth, player behavior shows a strong preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of gamers say they gravitate toward existing franchises or sequels, while only one in five actively looks for brand‑new titles. These insights come from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a broad range of regions and demographics.
The survey highlighted a widespread dissatisfaction with what the firm calls 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 two recent releases. "Baldur’s Gate 3" succeeded by aiming at a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated with that segment. By contrast, "Concord" entered a saturated hero‑shooter space and struggled to persuade players who were already committed to free‑to‑play ecosystems to spend a full $40 on the game.
The contrast underscores the advantage of targeting a specific player type rather than trying to appeal to everyone. When Bain examined public data for 100 titles launched since 2023, the numbers were striking: 83 % of games that pursued a focused, niche audience reached commercial success, whereas only half of the unfocused, broadly‑targeted titles did so. This suggests that a clear market definition is a far more reliable predictor of profitability than sheer budget size or production polish. Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented.
When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox experiences with user‑generated content, or multiplayer‑focused titles, no single category captured more than 26 % of votes. About 20 % of respondents said their choice depends on mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they favor other, less common types of games. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: rising player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a smaller set of platforms—Roblox being a prime example.
Bain describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years, reflecting how a single platform can dominate attention and spending. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines.
However, Bain warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk if the underlying player target is vague: "It lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm argues 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. Instead, success will belong to teams that can articulate their ideal player in a single sentence and commit to that vision earlier than their rivals. Player sentiment toward AI in game development 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, another 44 % remain unchanged, and fewer than one in seven report increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially high among younger players: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 say they are more comfortable with AI this year, while 33 % see no change. Bain’s senior partner Anders Christofferson interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about AI’s reputational impact: "The window to move is open, particularly with the audiences who will define the market over the next decade." He adds that AI can also serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target demographic, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities.
Personalisation is another lever that the report highlights. Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and individualized in‑game content can boost spending, especially among teenage players. Indeed, 86 % of teenagers report making at least one gaming‑related purchase each month, compared with just over half of gamers in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of those in their 70s. These purchases encompass new games, downloadable content, subscriptions, and streamer tips, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
Direct purchases from developers’ own web stores are also on the rise. Nearly half of all gamers buy directly from a developer at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. The trend is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases in the last twelve months.
Christofferson sums up the strategic implication for executives: "The question for gaming leaders is no longer just about reaching more players. It’s about reaching the right players, in the right way, and gaining greater ownership of that relationship." He concludes that studios that pull ahead will be those that have made a deliberate decision about who they are building for and have aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—to serve that specific audience.