The worldwide market for gaming 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 persist for another four-year cycle. Despite this steady financial rise, player behavior tells a different story: about two‑thirds of gamers gravitate toward familiar franchises or sequels, while merely 20 percent actively seek out brand‑new titles. These insights come from Bain & Company’s most recent annual Gaming Report, which gathered responses from more than 5,300 players across a broad range of regions and demographics. The survey revealed a pronounced dissatisfaction with what respondents dubbed the "unfocused middle" of the market – games that feel overly generic, safe, and shallow, and therefore fail to capture attention.
To illustrate the impact of focus, Bain compared the reception of two very different releases. Baldur’s Gate 3 succeeded by honing in on a narrowly defined audience that craved deep, narrative‑driven role‑playing experiences. In contrast, the shooter Concord entered an already crowded hero‑shooter arena and struggled to persuade players who were accustomed to free‑to‑play models to part with a $40 price tag.
This case study underscores a broader trend identified by the consultancy: among 100 titles launched since 2023, 83 percent of games that targeted a specific player segment achieved commercial success, whereas only half of the more generic, unfocused titles did so. Player preferences for genre and play style are similarly 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 percent of respondents. About 20 percent said their choice depends on mood or that they treat the categories as roughly equal, while 17 percent indicated they prefer other or undefined types of games. The report also highlights two major forces reshaping the industry today: rising demand from players and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence.
Younger gamers, in particular, are concentrating their time on a narrower set of platforms, with Roblox singled out as the emerging "centre of gravity" for the broader gaming ecosystem over the past five years. On the AI front, developers are increasingly leveraging generative tools to accelerate production pipelines. However, Bain cautions that without a clear target audience, AI can simply amplify a misplaced bet: "it lets you scale the wrong bet faster." The firm argues that the studios that will thrive in the coming years will not necessarily be those with the deepest pockets or the most sophisticated AI stacks, but those that can articulate their ideal player in a single sentence and commit to building for that persona ahead of their rivals. Player sentiment toward AI in game development has softened over the last twelve months.
Forty‑two percent of surveyed gamers now feel more comfortable with AI’s role in the industry than they did a year ago, another 44 percent feel unchanged, and fewer than one in seven report increased discomfort. Acceptance is especially high among the 13‑to‑17 age group, where 59 percent say they are more comfortable with AI this year, and 33 percent say their view remains the same.
Bain’s analysts interpret 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." Moreover, AI can provide developers with richer insights into player behavior. A growing suite of analytical tools can track engagement patterns, surface the features that resonate most with a target cohort, and create tighter feedback loops between creators and their communities. Personalisation is another lever that AI can sharpen.
Tailored communications, bespoke advertisements, and custom in‑game content can be delivered to individual players, a strategy that Bain found to boost spending, especially among teenagers. In fact, 86 percent of teens reported spending money on gaming‑related activities each month, compared with just over half of players in their 50s, 36 percent of those in their 60s, and 27 percent of gamers in their 70s. These activities include buying new titles, purchasing downloadable content, subscribing to services, and tipping streamers, but exclude hardware purchases such as consoles or VR headsets.
Direct purchases from developers’ own web stores are also on the rise. Nearly half of all gamers said they bought directly from a developer at least once in the past year, and 27 percent did so repeatedly.
The trend is strongest among younger players: 40 percent of those aged 13‑17 reported multiple direct purchases within the last twelve months. 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 that studios pulling ahead are those that have made a deliberate choice about who they are building for and have aligned every resource—AI, distribution channels, and personalisation tactics—to serve that defined audience.