In gaming you will need to specialize in Modeling/Texture, Rigging, Animation. They are the major categories. I applied to the gaming industry and was told by EA that I had to specialize in one category.

The gaming industry is very different from web, a web programmer with an eye for design and some Photoshop skills can also be a web designer. In the CG (TV/FILM, Gaming) industry it is too difficult to maintain a level of understanding and quality when you spread yourself across modeling animation and rigging. I know people that are good at all but only work in one field. I also know people that are fantastic modelers but can animate they are also working in the industry.

So in closing it is a good practice to have a working knowledge of all the area as they are in some way intertwined but specialize in the one that interests you the most. If you want to be an animator learn enough about modeling and rigging to build your self a nice little character and animate it until the motion is perfect and put together an animation reel of that character doing every kind of motion. For a modeling real for gaming I would recommend to model really high quality textured models with poly counts that are equal to what the current industry standard for that form of model is. Then render 360 views of those characters. If you are looking for film or tv well thats a whole other can of worms. I have worked in film doing swarm effects, modeling and simulation for “Killer Bees” and modeling for the TV series pilot that I am contracted to work on right now.

Final note: There is work in all the industries so you should really pick what you want to do a tailor a demo reel to that industry category to maximize the chances of getting a job. If you go freelance I would recommend to go hybrid as you never know what work will come in at a given time.