Here's how you can stay updated with gaming industry trends and impress in an interview.

Staying updated with gaming industry trends through gaming news is a key component, especially when preparing for an interview. Being well-informed about the latest developments, such as new technologies, game releases, studio announcements, and market shifts, demonstrates your enthusiasm and commitment to the field. This knowledge not only helps you answer interview questions more effectively but also enables you to engage in meaningful discussions about the industry's future and your potential role in it. Regularly consuming gaming news ensures you appear informed, proactive, and ready to contribute from day one, making a strong impression on potential employers.

Hot Take - Depending on what you're doing in the industry, you don't need to pay attention to the news. Inherently, the news is created in a way that wants to make the problems of the world, your problem. But, let's say you're working on a project and the news is so "scary" that you stop building it. That's not ideal. Look, the news is important, but YOUR NEWS is the most important!

Being able to be updated with news surrounding the industry shows your enthusiasm and ability to gather information for anything that may be applicable. Build up habits gradually in digestible amount to read up and understand them, know which one are applicable and even better, draw examples to relate to it pertaining to the role you could be in. News outlet such as GamesBeat, Video Games Chronicles and Destructoid are some of the ones, of course there are more. Run a Google search to ensure smaller stories of interest are not missed.

I like looking at Online Forums through the lens of sentiment analysis. It's almost like it's the ocean of emotions and thoughts around a game or idea. I don't take every post I see as the "truth", but if I see the same post a bunch of times, I take note.

These are great to look at, just make sure the source is reliable. If you end up getting information from bad industry reports, it can sway your viewpoint in a negative direction. These documents show off the macro trends in gaming, which are helpful.

This hit home for me, so here's my story. I started out as a gaming influencer, primarily discussing games and sharing tutorial tips. After gaining a large number of followers, Netease approached me and offered me a position. Following that, Tencent and Hypergryph. So, having a project increases your chances of landing a job. Simply put... advertise yourself (put yourself out there).

I think one thing that goes understated is the fact that you need to be playing video games. The gaming industry is notorious for paying professionals wages that are lower than they'd be for the equivalent role in another industry. It truly is a passion, for better or for worse. Both people working in the industry and majority of consumers tend to gravitate and respect leadership that actually knows what it's like to be a gamer. They're among the most demanding and passionate consumers, and you want to have leaders with that same passion regardless of monetary bottom line.

Two additional resources not mentioned earlier are podcasts and gaming Slack communities. The gaming industry boasts a wealth of insightful podcasts that frequently cover industry news, often on a weekly basis. Moreover, there are numerous inclusive Slack communities where members discuss the latest news and developments daily. These Slack groups vary by profession and specific games, ranging from detailed groups focused solely on mobile puzzle games to extensive communities that encompass the entire gaming industry, from design to marketing.