Follow your dreams?

I don't know you and we probably will never meet but I AM LITERALLY BEGGING YOU TO FOLLOW YOUR DREAM. If you have that sort of attitude that is realistically founded and thought out towards a field BEFORE EVEN GETTING A JOB, you will hate your existence and will never be happy long-term with your girlfriend. Ultimately, pursuing your passion may in the short-term have destabilizing consequences for your life and environment but both you and your girlfriend have an ability to pursue a genuine and authentic life, even if you end up breaking up down the line that kind of opportunity is extraordinarily rare in this world so if you actually have the ability to pursue your passion then you owe it to yourself as a self-respecting human being. Good luck and Godspeed

>>16798129
>I don't want to make her afraid that I'll never work or make money.
Then you need to bust your ass to show her that you mean what you say.
>If I would try working on gamedev at home for a year or two, would it be possible to go back to corporations and interview as if nothing had happened?
If you never did an interview with someone, yes, you can go do an interview sometime down the road. They might ask why your work history is blank, but you have a year to figure out what exactly you want to tell them.

Here's the beautiful thing about your position: you've already got a fall-back, which is your masters in finance. If things go horribly wrong, you can always go back to finance, because you are going to have a hell of an easier time finding a job than most. You've already got 100K. Most people will work their entire lives, and not even get to see this kind of money, let alone utilize it for their dream.

In the end, it's up to you whether or not you take a leap of faith, but understand that if you don't take it now when you have this kind of opportunity, then no amount of money or job prospects will ever change your mind.

>>16798163
>>16798129
>>16798415
DO NOT DO GAME DEV
REPEAT
DO NOT DO GAME DEV

You won't make any money off your first game. Or your second. Or your third even. You'll do back breaking amounts of work for literally 0 recognition and for literally $0. Game dev is only for masochists and people with almost literally autistic levels of dedication. Game dev is not fun after it wears off, and you'll inevitably wish you hadn't thrown your life away for fucking beans.

Do it part time before you decide to commit future suicide, it's not for everyone.
Oh and go to /vg/'s /agdg/ and ask them the same thing

Go for it if you think you can make it, but be aware that it may well be one of the hardest and most competitive life paths in the developed world. The people who do this are not just gamers and coders: they are artists, musicians, game-design theorists, and marketers, and they are at the top of all of these fields. And for all of this, they are not rich, or famous, or glamorous. Jason Rohrer, for example, managed it by practicing a form of simple living for several years until he found a patron, but that is not something most people would find acceptable.

Follow your dreams, but know what you are getting into. If you cannot git that gud -and I notice that these fields are not what you spent your time studying- then you are in for a world of hurt. If you really think you can manage this, then go for it. We frankly need more one-person gamedev shops. But don't do this to escape from the world, or as an imaginary path of least resistance: it is neither. Do it because you have something to say; because you have games inside you that are begging to get out.

I'm working in finance as an quant right now. I'm thinking about moving the game industry or something like that one day but right now my job is quite cushy (probably better hours than the game industry) and pays well so I'm just saving up for now while skilling up in game dev related skills in my spare time.

I don't really have a vision of what I can really contribute to the game industry right now other than be an above-average programmer which seems kinda lame so I'm steering clear for now. At least I will wait till I am pretty pro at art/CG and can create something of both technical and artistic merit.

Making something really great isn't exactly something you can do by yourself with high probability. At least join a good game company and quit when your business plan is completely clear.

>>16798129
You're putting yourself at a disadvantage if you take time off after school. Actually, as you probably know, you should be looking for a job NOW before you finish your program.

I think you're going to be better off getting a well paying job in the field you're getting your masters in, stack up some money and some work history, and learn to code in your free time.

Programming can be very enjoyable, but being self-employed can be incredibly stressful, and game development jobs are some of the worst programming jobs you can get -- there's so many people who want to do this, publishers (which is about all that's left) tend to abuse their employees.

I'd strongly advise you pursue finance. Finesse your dev skills in your free time and work your day job. Spend a couple of years figuring out if this is something you could contently do for the rest of your life.

The reality of any creative field is that they're over-saturated as fuck, and only the obscenely lucky, driven and multi-talented will get anywhere. If there is anything else you could happily do with your life, do that, and keep the creative pursuit as a hobby - whether that means it's something you just play with on your own for an hour before bed the way someone else might watch TV, or it means you really put yourself out there, enter competitions, take on freelance work, etc and possibly even transition into making it your bread and butter without having to risk everything on it all at once.

You are in a good position with your inheritance to pursue this dream, but you're also in a good position to pursue a good career you've been working towards. Por que no las dos? You're young, you can stand to work your ass off for a couple of years juggling them both. Build up a bigger nest egg and see which one drives you insane first. And if you make it in gamedev, just consider it paying your dues.

But if you do go ahead and just pursue gamedev, as far as your girlfriend goes, just make sure to really make this pursuit your job. Match her hours worked per week, kick your own ass to be productive, have goals, do research, etc. All of your time should in some way be inching towards this pursuit some day making you money. If you're going to make it your job, really walk the walk and make it your job even when no one's paying you to do it. Shit, tell her to fire you if she catches you slacking off.
And spend your money wisely, always remember that it's an investment in your future, not a free ride.

Godspeed OP.

>>16798576
>Finesse your dev skills in your free time and work your day job.

He should just get a tech-heavy job in finance if he does that. A hedge fund dev job that pays $200k a year would be great software engineering experience and provide capital to do something cool later.

With that experience if freelance game dev doesn't pan out he can always transition in to working for an existing game or tech company, or go to back to finance.

>>16798438
This. Unless you have a lot funding, Game dev is better as a hobby than a profession.

>>16799655
>Game dev is better as a hobby than a profession.
It's good as a profession if you don't approach it as a hobbyist, which most people do.

Don't listen to these cucks, you actually have an achievable dream, and $100k to live off of until you make it happen. It's not like you have some lofty impossible goal.

You want to be a computer programmer, they're in demand. Sure, employers might be skeptical as to why you weren't employed straight out of college, but, assuming you fail, you will at least have a portfolio to show what you've been doing.

When people have gaps in employment it is usually because they were on the couch smoking blunts, or living at home with their parents because they're bums.

Go for it, I emplore you. And if you'd be interested in designing a mobile game for a stake in the profits drop me your email.

>>16798129
dude if you have 100k just start investing. let the money do the work for you. id think youd know this, having completed most of a masters degree in finance

>>16799655
>Unless you have a lot funding
>inherited about 100k
What more does he need?