Global revenue from video‑game software has been expanding at an average compound annual growth rate of roughly three percent over the last four years, and analysts expect that momentum to continue for the next four‑year period. Yet, despite this steady market growth, player behavior remains heavily tilted toward the familiar. According to Bain & Company’s latest annual Gaming Report – which gathered responses from more than 5,300 gamers across the globe – two‑thirds of players gravitate toward sequels or titles they already know, while only about 20 % actively seek out brand‑new releases.
Survey participants voiced a clear frustration with what the report calls the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that are overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to stand out in a crowded landscape. To illustrate the point, Bain & Co contrasted the reception of two very different products. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by aiming at a narrowly defined, highly engaged audience, delivering a deep, narrative‑driven experience that resonated with fans of role‑playing games. By contrast, the hero‑shooter Concord entered an already saturated segment, competing against free‑to‑play titles that already commanded player loyalty, and struggled to convince gamers to spend the full $40 price tag.
When the firm examined public data on 100 titles launched since 2023, the results were striking: 83 % of games that pursued a focused, well‑defined player segment achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the titles that took a broader, less targeted approach met their revenue goals. This suggests that specificity in design and marketing is a far stronger predictor of financial performance than simply having a larger budget. Player preferences for genre and style are also highly fragmented. When asked to choose between story‑driven adventures, open‑world sandbox experiences with user‑generated content, or multiplayer‑centric games, no single category attracted more than 26 % of respondents.
About one‑fifth of gamers said their choice depends on mood or that they treat the three categories as roughly equal, while 17 % indicated they prefer other types of games altogether. The report identified two overarching pressures shaping the industry today: rising demand from players and the rapid adoption of generative AI. Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their playtime on a narrower set of platforms – with Roblox highlighted as a "center of gravity" for the ecosystem over the past five years.
This concentration amplifies the importance of understanding and catering to a well‑defined audience. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative technologies to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain & Co warns that AI alone does not mitigate risk if the underlying game concept lacks a clear target. As the firm puts it, AI "lets you scale the wrong bet faster." 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 tools, but those that commit early to building a game for a player they can describe in a single sentence.
Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the past year. Forty‑two percent of respondents said they feel more comfortable with AI usage now than they did twelve months ago, another 44 % feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven report increased discomfort.
Acceptance is especially high among younger gamers: 59 % of players aged 13‑17 say they are more comfortable with AI this year, while 33 % say their opinion remains the same. Bain & Co’s senior partner Anders Christofferson interprets these findings as a green light for studios hesitant about AI’s reputational risk. "The window to move is open, particularly with the audiences who will define the market over the next decade," he notes. Moreover, AI can serve as a powerful analytics engine, helping developers decode engagement patterns, surface what resonates with a target cohort, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities.
Personalisation, powered by AI‑driven insights, is already proving its worth. Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and custom in‑game content can 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 gamers in their 70s.
These activities encompass purchases of new titles, downloadable content, subscription services, and even tips for streamers, but they 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 developer 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 making multiple direct purchases in the past twelve months. Christofferson sums up the strategic implication for executives: "The question is no longer just about reaching more players.
It’s about reaching the right players, in the right way, and gaining greater ownership of that relationship." He adds that 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 channels to personalisation tactics – behind that singular focus.