The global 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 that momentum to persist for the next four-year horizon. Despite this healthy overall trajectory, player behavior reveals a pronounced preference for the familiar: about two‑thirds of respondents say they gravitate toward existing franchises or sequels, while merely twenty percent actively hunt for brand‑new titles. These insights stem from Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report, which collected responses from more than 5,300 gamers across a broad geographic spread.
The survey highlighted a widespread frustration 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 and Concord. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by zeroing in on a narrowly defined audience that craved deep role‑playing experiences, whereas Concord entered an already crowded hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players, many of whom were accustomed to free‑to‑play models, to spend a full $40 on the product.
When Bain examined public data for a sample of 100 titles launched since 2023, the pattern was stark. Focused games that targeted a specific player archetype enjoyed commercial success in 83 % of cases, while only half of the unfocused, broadly aimed titles managed to turn a profit. The data underscores a growing fragmentation in genre preferences as well.
When asked to pick a preferred experience—story‑driven narratives, open‑world sandbox/user‑generated content, or multiplayer competition—no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents. About one‑fifth of gamers said their choice varied roughly equally or depended on mood, and another 17 % indicated they either did not fit into those categories or preferred something else entirely. The report also identified two major forces reshaping the industry: 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 singled out as the "centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years.
This concentration suggests that a smaller pool of titles now commands a larger share of attention and spending. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain warns that technology alone does not mitigate risk when the underlying design lacks a clear target audience. As one analyst put it, AI can "scale the wrong bet faster." The firms that will thrive in the coming years, the report argues, will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks.
Instead, they will be the studios that can articulate their ideal player in a single, concise sentence and commit to that vision earlier than their rivals. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has softened over the last twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI’s role in development than they did a year ago, another 44 % are unchanged, and fewer than one in seven express increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 report greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % say their opinion remains steady. Bain’s senior partner Anders Christofferson interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about AI’s reputational impact.
"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. Moreover, AI can serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface resonant content, and tighten feedback loops between creators and communities. Personalisation, powered by AI‑driven insights, is already influencing spending behavior.
Tailored communications, targeted advertisements, and bespoke in‑game offers can boost revenue, especially among teenagers. The report notes that 86 % of teens report monthly spending on gaming‑related activities, compared with just over half of players in their 50s, 36 % of those in their 60s, and 27 % of the 70‑plus group.
These activities encompass purchases of 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 studio at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. The trend is most pronounced among the youngest players: 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported multiple direct purchases in the past year.
Christofferson sums up the strategic shift: "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 adds that the studios pulling ahead are those that have deliberately defined who they are building for and aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—to serve that audience. By focusing on a clear player profile and harnessing AI to both create and market experiences that resonate, developers can navigate the crowded marketplace and capture the loyalty—and spending—of the gamers most likely to champion their titles.