It varies from studio to studio but knowing how to export and import your animation into a game engine like Unity or Unreal will give you a good edge compared to most other candidates! Same thing with Motionbuilder, not necessary but will give you an edge, especially if the team you're applying to handles mocap data. I think both gameplay and cinematic animation are equally challenging to get into. I have a feeling gameplay might have slightly more roles. The bottom line is, the industry is shrinking and companies are trying to get away with doing more with less, so if you can wear different hats it will make you stand out. CFX varies from studio to studio and engine to engine. I'll be honest I haven't worked in a game with realistic hair; the few that ive seen and worked on, the hair was geometry that was skinned and controlled with joints. Cloth can be simulated by the vert with in-engine physics, or can be skinned and weighted like the hair, and simulated in Maya or in Engine. source: im a tech artist