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 last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to persist for the next four‑year horizon. Despite this overall growth, player behaviour shows a strong preference for familiarity: about two‑thirds of gamers admit they gravitate toward sequels or titles that feel known to them, while only one in five actively seeks out brand‑new games. These insights come from Bain & Company’s most recent annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 individuals spanning a wide range of ages, regions, and gaming platforms.
The survey asked participants to describe their satisfaction with the current game landscape and to identify the kinds of experiences that most excite them. A recurring theme among respondents was frustration with what the firm calls the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore struggle to stand out in a crowded field.
To illustrate this point, Bain & Co highlighted the contrasting fortunes of two recent releases: *Baldur’s Gate 3* and *Concord*. The former succeeded by targeting a narrowly defined audience of role‑playing enthusiasts, delivering deep narrative and strategic depth that resonated with that group. In contrast, *Concord* entered an already saturated hero‑shooter arena and failed to convince players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to spend a full $40 on the title, resulting in a muted commercial response.
When the analysts examined public data for a sample of 100 games launched since 2023, they discovered a stark divide: 83 % of titles that were deliberately focused on a specific player segment reached commercial success, whereas only half of the unfocused, broadly‑aimed releases hit comparable sales milestones. This suggests that clarity of purpose – knowing exactly who the game is for – is a far more reliable predictor of market performance than simply having a large development budget. Player preferences for genre and play style are also highly fragmented. When asked which type of experience they preferred – story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox environments with user‑generated content, or competitive multiplayer – no single category captured more than 26 % of the vote.
About 20 % of respondents said their choice varied depending on mood or context, while 17 % indicated they either did not fit into any of the listed categories or preferred other, less common formats. The report also identified two macro‑level pressures reshaping the industry: escalating demand from players and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence. Younger gamers, in particular, are devoting increasing amounts of time to a narrow set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as a focal point that has become "the centre of gravity for the entire gaming ecosystem" over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines, create assets, and even prototype gameplay mechanics.
However, Bain & Co cautions that AI alone does not mitigate risk unless the underlying product is aimed at a well‑defined audience. As the firm puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firms that will thrive in the coming years, according to Bain, will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that commit early to building for a player they can describe in a single sentence. Player sentiment toward AI in game creation has warmed noticeably over the past twelve months. Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers said they feel more comfortable with AI‑driven development than they did a year ago, another 44 % said their comfort level remained unchanged, and fewer than one in seven expressed increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially high among the youngest cohort: 59 % of respondents aged 13‑17 reported greater comfort with AI this year, while 33 % said their view had not shifted. "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 explained.
The firm also highlighted how AI can deepen developers’ understanding of their audiences. Emerging analytics tools can parse engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target segment, and enable tighter feedback loops between creators and players.
These capabilities open the door to highly personalized marketing and in‑game experiences. Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and content recommendations that align with an individual’s play style have been shown to boost spending, especially among teenagers.
In fact, 86 % of teens 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, downloadable content, subscription services, and even tips for streamers, but they exclude hardware such as consoles or VR headsets.
The report also found that nearly half of all gamers buy directly from a developer’s own online store at least once a year, and 27 % do so repeatedly. This direct‑to‑consumer trend is most pronounced among younger players, with 40 % of 13‑ to 17‑year‑olds reporting multiple direct purchases in the previous 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."