The worldwide market for gaming software has been expanding at an average compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for another four‑year stretch. Yet, despite this steady financial climb, player behavior remains heavily skewed toward the familiar.
According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report—based on a survey of more than 5,300 gamers from around the globe—about two‑thirds of respondents admit they gravitate toward sequels or games that feel known, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new titles. Survey participants voiced a clear frustration with what the firm calls the "unfocused middle" of the market: games that play it safe, appear generic, and lack depth, making them difficult to distinguish from the crowd.
To illustrate the point, Bain & Co contrasted two recent releases. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined, passionate audience, whereas Concord attempted to break into an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the game. When the researchers examined public data for 100 titles launched since 2023, they discovered a stark divide.
Focused games—those designed for a specific player segment—achieved commercial success in 83 % of cases. By contrast, titles with a broader, less targeted appeal succeeded only half the time, with a success rate of about 50 %. Player preferences for genre also appear fragmented. When asked which type of experience they favored—story‑driven narratives, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition—no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote.
Around 20 % of respondents said their choice depends on mood or that the categories are roughly equal for them, while 17 % selected "none of the above" or mentioned other game types. The report also identified two overarching pressures reshaping the industry: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their time on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox highlighted as a prime example. Bain & Co describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem over the past five years," reflecting its outsized influence on player habits and spending.
On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, the consultancy warns that without a well‑defined target audience, AI can simply amplify a misguided bet: "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, early on, can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and then align all resources—AI, distribution, personalization—around that vision. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has softened over the past year.
Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in the industry than they did twelve months ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven report increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among teenagers: 59 % of players aged 13‑17 say they are more at ease with AI this year, while 33 % say their view has stayed the same. Bain & Co interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about AI’s reputational risk: "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." The firm also points out that AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytical tools can parse engagement data, surface what resonates with specific segments, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and communities.
Personalization, powered by AI, extends beyond analytics. Tailored offers—customized messaging, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game content—have been shown to boost spending, especially among younger players. In fact, 86 % of teenagers report 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. These activities encompass buying new games, downloadable content, subscriptions, and even tipping streamers, but they exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets.
The report also highlights purchasing behavior. Nearly half of 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 cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported making multiple direct purchases in the past year.
Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain & Co’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 reaching the right players, in the right way, and getting more 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."