The global market for video‑game software has been expanding at a modest but steady compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the past four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for at least another four‑year horizon. Despite this overall upward trajectory, player behaviour remains heavily skewed toward the familiar. In fact, the latest annual Gaming Report from Bain & Company, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a broad range of regions, shows that two‑thirds of players gravitate toward titles they already know—sequels, franchises, or games that feel similar to past favourites—while only one in five actively seeks out a brand‑new experience.
Survey participants voiced a particular frustration with what the firm describes as the "unfocused middle" of the market. This segment consists of games that are overly generic, play it safe, and lack the depth or distinctiveness needed to capture attention.
To illustrate the point, Bain & Co contrasted the reception of two recent releases: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by deliberately targeting a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated strongly with that group. By contrast, Concord entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to part with a $40 price tag. The comparison underscores the advantage of a laser‑focused design and marketing strategy.
When the researchers examined public data on a sample of 100 titles launched since 2023, the numbers reinforced the anecdotal evidence. A striking 83 % of games that were built for a specific player segment achieved commercial success, whereas only half (50 %) of titles that lacked a clear focus managed to turn a profit.
This gap highlights the risk of spreading development resources across a vague, mass‑market vision. Player preferences themselves are highly fragmented. The survey asked gamers to choose their preferred type of experience—story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer. No single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents.
About 20 % said their choice varies depending on mood or that they enjoy all three types equally, while 17 % indicated they either have no strong preference or play other niche genres not listed in the options. Beyond taste, the report identified two major forces reshaping the industry: rising demand from a younger, more concentrated player base and the rapid adoption of generative AI tools in development pipelines.
Younger gamers, in particular, are devoting an increasing share of their leisure time to a relatively small set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as a focal point. Bain & Co describes Roblox as having become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years, a hub where creators, developers, and players converge. On the technology side, generative AI is being leveraged to accelerate content creation, level design, and even narrative generation. However, the firm warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless developers have a well‑defined target audience.
As one analyst put it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The most successful studios in the coming years, according to Bain & Co, will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks. Instead, they will be the teams that, early on, articulate a single‑sentence player persona and align every resource—AI, distribution channels, personalization tactics—around that vision. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has warmed over the last twelve months. Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI’s role in the industry than they did a year ago, another 44 % reported no change, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
The shift is most pronounced among teenagers: 59 % of gamers aged 13‑17 indicated greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their opinion remained unchanged. Bain & Co’s senior partner Anders Christofferson 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," he said.
He added that AI can also serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers understand engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target audience, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and the community. Personalization is another lever that the report highlights.
Tailored communications, bespoke advertising, and content recommendations that speak directly to an individual’s preferences can boost spending, especially among younger players. Indeed, 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 those in their 70s. These activities encompass purchases of new games, downloadable content, subscriptions, and even tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. Direct‑to‑consumer sales are also gaining traction.
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. The trend is strongest among the youngest cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases in the past twelve months.
The overarching message for gaming executives is clear: success is no longer just about expanding the total audience; it’s about identifying the right audience, reaching them in a manner that feels personal, and building a lasting relationship that can be monetized responsibly. Studios that make a deliberate, data‑driven choice about who they are building for—and then align AI, distribution, and personalization strategies around that choice—are the ones poised to pull ahead in an increasingly competitive market.