Global revenue from 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 the same trajectory to continue for the next four years. Yet, despite this healthy market expansion, player behavior remains surprisingly conservative: about two‑thirds of gamers say they stick to familiar franchises or sequels, and merely 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 players across a wide range of regions and demographics. The survey uncovered a pronounced dissatisfaction with what respondents termed the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and lacking depth, and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain & Co compared two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. *Baldur’s Gate 3* succeeded by targeting a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated strongly with that segment.
In contrast, *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend the full $40 price tag. Analyzing public data on 100 games launched since 2023, Bain found that 83 % of titles with a clear, specific focus achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the more generic, unfocused releases hit their revenue targets. This stark contrast underscores the value of knowing exactly who you are building for.
Player preferences for game genres are also highly fragmented. When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox or user‑generated content experiences, and multiplayer‑focused games, no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About 20 % said their preference varies depending on mood or the specific title, and 17 % selected "none of the above" or mentioned other types of games. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: growing player expectations and the rapid adoption of generative AI.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower 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, drawing massive attention and time investment from the most active segment of the audience. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, the report warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless the game is built for a well‑defined player persona.
As Bain puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firms that will thrive in the coming years are not necessarily those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those who commit early to a player profile that can be summed up in a single sentence. 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 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven are less comfortable. Acceptance is especially high among teenagers: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 report increased comfort with AI, while 33 % say their view remains 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 spokesperson noted.
AI can also serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target audience, and tighten feedback loops between creators and their communities. Personalisation is a key benefit of these AI‑driven insights.
Tailored communications, bespoke advertising, and content recommendations that speak directly to individual players have been shown to boost spending, especially among younger demographics. 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 those in their 70s.
Gaming‑related expenditures encompass purchases of new titles, in‑game items, subscription services, and tips for streamers, but exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets. The report also found that nearly half of gamers buy directly from developers’ own web stores at least once a year, with 27 % doing so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer behavior is most pronounced among the youngest cohort: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases in the past year.
Anders Christofferson, global lead for Bain’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."