I've wanted to work on video games my entire life. Ever since I was a kid in the 2000s, games inspired me deeply, and my dream has always been to create something that could do the same for the next generation.

Over the past decade, I've been self-teaching myself 3D animation, slowly but steadily. I've contributed to a few indie projects and mods, even had the chance to mentor others. Bit by bit, I'm getting closer. I’ve even landed interviews at my dream studio.

But here's the dilemma:
Some of my closest friends, people I’ve known for years, now work at AAA studios... and they hate it. They’ve told me outright that they'd rather work at a dumpster than make another game. Their stories are disheartening, and it’s making me question everything.

I personally love working on video games. The passion, the creativity, the freedom... it’s fulfilling. But AAA pays well, like, really well (we're talking $100k–$180k/year). I don't know how bad it really is on the inside, and I don’t want to throw away a childhood dream over secondhand dread.

So I’m torn.
Do I keep pushing toward AAA, knowing it might kill the joy I have for this craft? Or do I stay indie, even if it’s less stable and pays peanuts?

Anyone here been in this position?

>>33393840 (OP)
I would probably stick to small indie studios and try to find a genius idea guy and get rich. Like the guy who made Grandpa basically has the chops to work at Adult Swim.
The worst companies I've worked at in IT gave me some form of light PTSD for months. I only lasted a year before I had to get out of there.

>>33393857
May I ask what you do now? I can't imagine how tough it must've been for you to transition from an industry like IT.

>>33393879
I didn't, I just found a company that doesn't suck balls.
The greatest factor when it comes to employment is not to love your work, it's to find a company that gives you the least work possible so you can enjoy your life.

AAA studios are designed like massive AI prompts, where the execs think, "Make me a game with _____", and all the artists and programmers etc. just have to build exactly what they say even if it sucks. Not only is it busy but the lack of creative freedom means you're going to stagnate skills-wise after a certain point. And you'll be too tired to improve in your free time.

Go indie if you can.

>>33393840 (OP)
Both indie devs I have known have had their companies shut down midway through their first project. You can't exactly put "worked on a project that was cancelled and I can't show you anything" on your resume. And it took years. So OP, maybe don't go too indie. Make sure the company isn't going to go under.

>>33393857
>I would probably stick to small indie studios and try to find a genius idea guy and get rich.
OP having a decade of animation experience is great because great animation is one of the key things that makes indies get noticed on Tiktok/twitter

>>33393943
Surprisingly LinkedIn is where I got the most views/attention. What I would normally get 1k views on youtube, would get me 100k on LinkedIn. I have no idea why tf that happens, but I won't complain, lol.

>>33393840 (OP)
Honestly for that kinda money maybe just hate your job, live below your means, and retire early, them work on indie games on your own

>>33393840 (OP)
I am an indie dev and will probably never touch big AAA studios unless I am getting a superstar position where I can tell executives to go eat a dick.
We are in a really stressful time for AAA videgames. Studios are throwing the weight of desired exponential growth on the back of devs.
>Half a decade long dev cycles
>mandatory crunch
>Insane deadlines to meet investor quota
>layoffs
It is not pretty.
If I were you, I would take the AAA offer, but would not crunch, overtime, or flinch at executives being dumb.
It is your dream, if you get the offer, give it a shot... BUT, BE SMART ABOUT IT.
>take the job
>work earnestly while you are there
>Do not comply with abusive demands or attempts to trick you
>Go to HR for EVERYTHING
>work your 8 hours and not a minute more
>turn your phone off once off the clock
>Take your weekends properly
If you do this and get laid off after a few months you can know for sure that you did what you should have done and the studio was just abusive and wanted to wring you dry.

Most devs get to their dream studio and kill themselves over the game, they then blame themselves over failures of upper management. This is stupid, do not do that.

Also, watch this REALLY good video by noodle
https://youtu.be/aS3-iSEwNhs
This also highlights a particularly nasty type of abuse which is "You are not going to overwork, then we will give your extra work to your friends"

>>33393840 (OP)
>But AAA pays well, like, really well (we're talking $100k–$180k/year).
Enjoy horrible hours and being laid off a third of the year. You'll clear $60k if lucky.

If you like software do traditional b2b sass. Stable work, good pay.

I'm a database and backend web engineer. I don't do games in my day job. I do it as a hobby though. I resurrected a AAA game using said skills.

Do indie games on the side. If one takes off make it your day job if it replaces day job revenue.

>>33393928
This, but for movies, tv, and animation as well.
Nothing in the AI boom is new, real artists have been fucked over in the west for the past 100 years
Really wish we had less design by committee like they got in the east

Always make more money. you can do what u truly love on the side. life is suffering