Yes it is similar, but the smaller indie studio model is much more viable than it was a decade or two ago, particularly for unique games that find deep populari

Yes it is similar, but the smaller indie studio model is much more viable than it was a decade or two ago, particularly for unique games that find deep popularity with a small niche. (See Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program, Coffee Stain Studios) I think independent video game dev is good for people who want to write the game anyways, and want to monetize to allow them to keep working on it. But, it is very unlikely to make you significant wealth.