Production 101 – #7 What does a product manager do?

An introduction to the roles and responsibilities of a live-game service Product Manager.

• Live-service games demand dedicated Product Managers who balance player engagement, monetisation, and strategic planning to ensure long-term success.

• They collaborate across teams, leverage player data, and oversee live operations to keep games dynamic, profitable, and player-focused.

• The rise of Product Managers reflects gaming's shift from static products to evolving services, complementing producers by driving vision, market alignment, and innovation.

Welcome back to Production 101. Here is where we dive deep into game production. Today, we will be taking our first look into live-service product management.

Live-service games have emerged as a dominant force, captivating millions of players worldwide with continuous updates, events, and immersive experiences. Historically, overseeing a game’s development and lifecycle fell predominantly to producers. Producers managed everything from initial concept development to coordinating teams and ensuring timely releases. However, as games transitioned from one-time purchases to ongoing services, the complexity and stakes grew exponentially. This shift necessitated a new specialisation within the industry: the Product Manager.

A Brief History of Product Managers

The role of the Product Manager originated outside the gaming industry, with roots in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Pioneered by companies like Procter & Gamble in the 1930s, product management involved overseeing a product’s lifecycle, ensuring it met market needs and achieved business objectives. As software and technology companies grew, the role evolved into strategic planning, user experience, and cross-functional leadership.

In the gaming industry, the rise of live-service games—titles that require continuous development, updates, and player engagement—highlighted the need for dedicated professionals who could focus on long-term product strategy. While adept at managing development pipelines and team coordination, producers found their roles expanding beyond capacity. The intricate balance of player satisfaction, monetisation strategies, and real-time data analysis demanded a specialised skill set. Thus, the Product Manager role was adapted and integrated into the gaming sector, becoming essential for modern live-service games.

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I remember the early days of smartphone game publishing as we were just figuting out why and how to deliver live operations. When I first met the product manager from one of our partners, her confidence and strategic approach felt threatening, like an outsider dissecting our work. However, I soon realised she brought a level of expertise we lacked—market understanding, user engagement insights, and long-term product planning. Working alongside her allowed me to better focus on delivery, channeling my energy into creating and refining the game itself. This collaboration not only enhanced our product but also taught me the invaluable lesson that embracing others' strengths leads to greater success than going it alone.

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Strategic Planning, Vision and the “Why”

A clear and compelling vision is essential for the success of any live service game. Product Managers play a crucial role as the architects of this vision, defining the game’s long-term direction and developing features and gameplay experiences that keep players engaged over time. They create robust strategies focused on player retention, engagement, and monetisation, always staying in tune with the evolving preferences of the gaming community. Creating and managing detailed roadmaps for ongoing content updates and live operations ensures that the game remains fresh, relevant, and exciting.

One of the most significant contributions of Product Managers is their focus on the “Why” behind the actions of live service teams. While these teams handle the daily operations, updates, and maintenance of the game, Product Managers strive to understand the underlying purpose of each initiative. They align tasks with broader business goals, user needs, and market trends, ensuring every effort has a clear rationale. By emphasising the “Why,” Product Managers help teams prioritise effectively, avoid unnecessary work, and stay motivated by connecting their tasks to a larger mission. This focus enhances efficiency and drives the product toward meaningful and impactful outcomes.

Cross-Team Collaboration

The development and maintenance of a live-service game are inherently collaborative efforts. Product Managers are the central hub in this complex network, liaising between designers, developers, artists, marketers, and analytics teams. Their role involves harmonising the design team’s creative visions with the developers’ technical capabilities while aligning with marketing strategies and business goals. Working closely with analytics teams to define telemetry needs and track key performance indicators (KPIs) ensures that every team member moves towards a common objective. This collaborative synergy is essential for delivering a cohesive and engaging gaming experience.

Data-Driven Decision Making

In the realm of live-service games, data is king. Product Managers harness the power of player data, preferences, and behaviours to inform every aspect of game development and live operations. They conduct in-depth market research and study competitor games to unearth opportunities for innovation and differentiation. By meticulously analysing game performance metrics, they make informed decisions about updates and improvements, ensuring that each change resonates with the player base and contributes positively to the game’s health. This data-centric approach allows for agile adjustments in strategy, aligning the game’s evolution with player expectations and market trends.

Live Operations Management

The lifeblood of live-service games is their live operations—ongoing events, content updates, and seasonal activities that keep the community engaged. Product Managers oversee the development of these in-game events and often take on the role of operators. They are responsible for configuring and scheduling events, ensuring content is released smoothly and optimally. Additionally, they handle messaging to players using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, crafting communications that inform and excite the player base about upcoming events and updates.

By directly managing the operational aspects of live events, Product Managers can swiftly respond to player behaviour and market trends, making real-time adjustments as needed. They also manage storefronts, merchandising, and retention strategies, balancing player satisfaction and business objectives. Their hands-on involvement ensures that monetisation strategies are implemented thoughtfully, avoiding the pitfalls of aggressive monetisation that can alienate players. They foster a loyal and active player base by keeping the game environment dynamic, rewarding, and well-communicated.

Performance Tracking and Reporting

Transparency and accountability are crucial in the dynamic environment of live-service games. Product Managers define, track, and report on metrics and KPIs that reflect customer success and overall game health. They deliver consolidated updates on live operations performance to leadership teams, providing insights that inform strategic decisions. By analysing the impact of updates and events on player engagement and revenue, they can adjust real-time strategies, fostering a responsive and player-centric development process. This continuous feedback loop is essential for sustaining the game’s success.

Team Leadership

Leading a team in the high-pressure environment of live-service gaming requires a unique blend of management skills and inspirational leadership. Product Managers oversee a team of professionals across various departments and mentor and guide them towards achieving collective goals. They motivate and inspire their teams, cultivating an environment of creativity, collaboration, and excellence. Their leadership ensures that every team member is aligned with the game’s vision and is empowered to contribute their best work. This aspect of their role is crucial for maintaining team morale and fostering innovation.

Risk Management and Problem Solving

The path to maintaining a successful live-service game is fraught with potential risks and challenges. Product Managers are adept at identifying these risks early and developing effective mitigation strategies. They are flexible and resilient, adapting to changing priorities and solving complex problems in a dynamic environment. Whether addressing unforeseen technical issues, navigating market shifts, or responding to player feedback, their proactive approach to risk management ensures that the game can navigate the turbulent waters of the gaming industry without losing momentum.

The Evolution from Producers to Product Managers

In the early days of gaming, producers were the central figures managing the production schedule and many aspects that we now associate with product management. They handled budgeting, team coordination, and the overall delivery of the game. However, as games evolved into live services with continuous content delivery and complex monetisation models, the industry recognised the need for a role dedicated solely to the product’s ongoing success post-launch.

This evolution mirrors the transition in other industries, where product management emerged to fill the gap between development and market success. In gaming, the specialisation allows producers to focus on the development process, while Product Managers concentrate on market alignment, player engagement, and revenue generation. This division of labour has become essential as the financial stakes in gaming have risen, with live-service models generating significant ongoing revenue streams that require constant attention and strategic planning.

Balancing Act: Players and Business Objectives

Perhaps the most critical aspect of a Product Manager’s role is balancing the needs of the players with the business objectives. They advocate for the company’s player community, ensuring the game remains engaging, fair, and enjoyable. At the same time, they are responsible for driving profitability and meeting business targets. This balancing act requires empathy, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the gaming industry and player psychology. Success in this area leads to a sustainable game that delights players while achieving financial goals.

Conclusion

Product Managers in live-service games are the unsung heroes who blend strategic vision with operational excellence. Their emergence as a distinct role from producers reflects the industry’s growth and the increasing complexity of managing live-service games. By delivering the “why” of the game’s development and live operations, they ensure it survives and thrives in a competitive market.

Their multifaceted role demands adaptability, data-savviness, and exceptional communication skills. They keep players enthralled, foster vibrant communities, and drive the game’s long-term success. In an industry where the only constant is change, Product Managers stand at the forefront, guiding live-service games through today’s challenges and into tomorrow’s opportunities.

Their contributions are integral to creating gaming experiences that resonate with players and stand the test of time, exemplifying how specialisation within the industry leads to innovation and success. As live-service games continue to grow in complexity and significance, the role of the Product Manager will undoubtedly become even more critical, cementing their place as crucial architects in live-service games.

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