What skills do you need and background expereiences do you need to apply for a PM role in gaming? What type of work do PMs do in gaming companies?
I just got hired at a AAA gaming studio. Was a PM for 8 years at Amazon. I interviewed with several gaming companies before landing at one. My impression was that they just want smart people with experience doing the normal PM stuff. A small studio may want a more tech oriented person though. Prep like you prep for a PM interview.
As others have pointed out before me researching job descriptions helps to understand what a given studio may need. That said, some broad strokes area of focus are: - Product Development & Roadmapping - Data & Analytics - User Research & Competitive Analysis - Leadership & Communication It's also important to be cognizant of emerging trends in the market. With these areas as foundation you'd be well positioned as a PM. If you have any questions, feel free to message me directly.
The other answers are a bit generic. I’ve been a PM in games for a long time. You need to know analytics very well and you need to understand live operations. Read deconstructoroffun.com, that’ll give you a good idea.
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Depends on the role, check out the job descriptions. Some will want someone technical to build tools for developers, or background in cloud tech, or maybe something specific to gaming like 3d graphics, or maybe background in payments to support payment tools, or background in mobile. I don't see gaming as any different from any other type of PM position. Some positions just want someone smart that can pass typical PM interview questions I've never worked as a PM at a gaming company but have worked with PMs at those companies.