From fans to superfans | What’s missing from the game industry

The games industry is experiencing a moment of turbulence. A growing list of high-profile, high-budget titles, such as Mindseye and New World, have failed to meet commercial expectations. Increasingly, even investments in the hundreds of millions are no longer enough to guarantee a successful title. Worse, the cost of getting it wrong has never been higher. Commonly, when blockbuster projects flop, they often take entire studios, IPs, and years of development with them.

This wave of underperformance reflects a broader shift in the gaming landscape. Competition is accelerating, production timelines are expanding, and audience tastes are fragmenting across more genres, platforms, and experiences than ever before.

Why blockbuster strategies are breaking down

Many major publishers remain focused on broad-appeal titles and genres with historically strong monetisation potential. However, this strategy, while once safe on paper, has increasingly led to limited success.

Just as social platforms that optimise for feed-driven discovery often struggle to build lasting communities, games that prioritise mass-market formulas risk feeling generic, interchangeable, or creatively stagnant. This is particularly risky now, as gamers shift toward new patterns of engagement built on meaning, identity, and long-term attachment to specific titles, series, or genres.

The result: a widening gap between what large studios are producing and what core players actually want from a video game.

The growing value of niche and underserved audiences

In contrast, smaller studios – and titles designed for niche or underrepresented player interests – are increasingly well positioned. By solving for specific player needs rather than broad averages, these games often deliver greater value to the audiences most likely to be deeply invested and act as evangelists of the title.

These highly engaged players are the ones who spend more time in-game, advocate for their favourite titles, and willingly pay for additional content. Meeting their needs can create not only stronger communities but more stable and predictable revenue.

Inside the report: Identifying core consumers and unmet demand in the games market

Our latest report, Fans to superfans: What’s missing from the games industry, examines these industry dynamics in detail, outlining where demand is rising, where the market is oversaturated, and which experience gaps represent the strongest opportunities for growth. Additionally, this report delivers insights into the distinct characteristics and behaviours of core gamers, superfans, and franchise-loyal audiences. It provides strategic guidance for studios aiming to design and market games that truly align with evolving consumer expectations.

While the future of the video game market is not set in stone, one thing is certain: There will be more choices than ever for gamers. By offering a data-driven insight into the unmet demands according to consumers, this report is an essential read for anyone looking to identify the most underserved parts of the market and how to best develop and position their next titles.

The full report is now available to read for MIDiA clients. If you are not yet a MIDiA client, and would like to read this report, please reach out to businessdevelopment@midiaresearch.com.