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 expect that momentum to persist for another four‑year horizon. Despite this healthy overall growth, player behaviour shows a strong preference for the familiar. According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report – which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a wide range of regions – about two‑thirds of players gravitate toward titles they already know, such as sequels or established franchises, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new releases. Survey participants expressed a particular frustration with what they called the "unfocused middle" of the market.
These are games that feel overly generic, safe, and shallow, lacking a distinctive voice or a clear point of difference. To illustrate the impact of focus versus breadth, Bain & Co contrasted two recent launches: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by zeroing in on a narrowly defined audience that craved deep role‑playing experiences, whereas Concord entered a crowded hero‑shooter space and struggled to convince players, many of whom were already committed to free‑to‑play ecosystems, to part with a $40 price tag. When the firm examined public performance data for 100 titles released since 2023, the numbers reinforced the anecdotal evidence.
A striking 83 % of games that were built with a specific player segment in mind achieved commercial success, compared with just 50 % of titles that adopted a broader, less targeted approach. This suggests that clarity of purpose is a far more reliable predictor of market performance than sheer budget size or production polish. Player preferences for genre and mode are also highly fragmented.
When respondents were asked to rank their ideal experience – whether a narrative‑driven adventure, an open sandbox that encourages user‑generated content, or a multiplayer‑focused title – no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote. About one‑fifth of gamers indicated that their choice depends on mood or that they treat the three categories as roughly equal, while 17 % selected "none of the above" or listed other, niche preferences. The report identified two overarching pressures reshaping the industry today: escalating player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox highlighted as a dominant hub that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. This concentration amplifies the importance of understanding what drives engagement on those core platforms. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate content creation, level design, and even narrative scripting. Bain & Co cautions, however, that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless it is applied to a well‑defined audience.
As the firm puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster" if the underlying player target is vague. The analysts argue that the studios that will thrive in the coming years will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI pipelines. Instead, success will belong to the teams that can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and then align every resource – from AI‑driven production to marketing and distribution – around that vision.
Player sentiment toward AI in game development has become more favourable over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI usage in games than they did a year ago, another 44 % reported no change, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort. The trend is especially pronounced among teenagers: 59 % of gamers aged 13‑17 indicated greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their view remained unchanged. Bain & Co interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about the reputational risk of AI.
The data suggest that the window to adopt AI responsibly is wide open, particularly for the younger demographics that will shape the market for the next decade. Moreover, AI can serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface the elements that resonate most with a target audience, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and players.
Personalisation is another lever that the report highlights. Tailored offers – ranging from custom communications and targeted advertisements to bespoke in‑game content – have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenage players.
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 players in their 70s. "Gaming‑related activities" in this context 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 uncovered a notable shift in purchasing channels. Nearly half of all gamers said they buy directly from a developer’s own web store at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly.
This behaviour is most evident among younger gamers: 40 % of respondents aged 13‑17 reported multiple direct purchases in the past year. Direct‑to‑consumer sales give developers richer data about their audience and open up opportunities for deeper personalisation. Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain & Co’s Video Game practice and partner in the Media & Entertainment group, 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 the studios pulling 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 strategies and personalisation tactics – behind that single, clear answer.
In summary, the Bain & Co Gaming Report paints a picture of an industry where growth is steady but player attention is increasingly selective. Success hinges on a laser‑focused understanding of the target audience, the judicious use of AI to accelerate development without diluting purpose, and the deployment of personalised experiences that turn casual interest into sustained spending. Studios that can integrate these elements into a cohesive strategy are poised to thrive in a market where the majority of gamers prefer the familiar, yet a significant minority are eager for fresh, well‑crafted experiences that speak directly to their preferences.