In addition to what others have already said here (Games are super hard to do, so any interviewer with even a modicum of technical acumen will value it highly),

In addition to what others have already said here (Games are super hard to do, so any interviewer with even a modicum of technical acumen will value it highly), I would add that there might be some cultural factors at work here. My experience with the italian software scene is virtually non-existent, so take my prejudices with a grain of salt, but my impression is that mainland Europe is much more conservative with regards to credentials. You might have a much difference experience interviewing in some of the tech hotspots. Moving within EU is easy - hop on a plane north and talk to some companies.