Ex-VideoGame dev Here (console mostly). Let's not forget the barrier to entry for shipping video games is going down drastically (except for AAA where it keeps

Ex-VideoGame dev Here (console mostly). Let's not forget the barrier to entry for shipping video games is going down drastically (except for AAA where it keeps getting more expensive!). So, the big publishers are shipping AAA games with margins that are getting thinner and require careful balancing acts to make those releases profitable. Players expect better Gfx, Sound, Music, VR/AR, Multiplayer and vast open world universes, these things are not cheap ... As an alternative path, many 'indies' are able to make it on their own and it's possible to work as a contractor and indie dev. Tools like Unity and Unreal and the plethora of mobile gaming plaforms are very accessible to almost anyone with basic technical knowledge. With 17 years experience as a Dev, I can tell you the most talented, creative and smart devs/progs/engineers I have met are in the Video games industry, I haven't been in any other industry where it gets even close to that.