Take a pay cut for the thing you love

Now I know that many people here would certainly take a little bit of a pay slip if they truly loved something, myself the same. But here is a decision that I'm going to need to make in the near future.

The thing that made me a programmer in the beginning was video games. I loved them, and that was what I wanted to do. Now I'm a web application developer however, and I love what I do.

Recently though, a connection of mine has informed me that my entry into the VG industry may have arrived. They're working with a company in California (I'm in Chicago) that is hiring several new people. They are almost certain that I could be one of them if i wanted to be.

But there is a problem. I make a good amount of money here. Hoping to a new part of the industry will not only cut my current salary (most likely by half). I'll also be starting from the bottom again in an industry that doesn't seem to care if your coming or going unless your something truly spectacular.

I've talked with my girlfriend about it and she's ready to move just about anywhere I ask minus the north pole and Texas apparently. She doesn't really care about the whole money thing because, well, she's independently wealthy and seemingly more than willing to buy a house there and have me live off of her forever (like I would really do that anyway)

I would say it means leaving behind my masters study, but most likely I would be going to a great school out there instead.

So what would you do? Leave something good for something possibly great, or just file this under the "when I was young I wanted to" category

Would there be any harm if you just try and see what happens?

It sounds like if things go bad in the gaming industry, you won't be suffering very much. You could just go back to what you're doing now if that happens.

Jimmy, well, it depends on how old you are and what you really want to do
I am thinking of comming to the US oneday and doing a game developer course, even if its just for fun.
Let me put it this way, if I where in you shoes:
a great girlfriend that understands your passion and is willing to support you until you are in a better position at the new job, the job you always wanted and dreamed about, H3ll yeah, I would go for it, you can always fall back on your webdeveloper skills if it doesn't work out.
But it certainly is a though question.
I wish you all of the best in your decision and hope it will work out for you, whichever you decide.

Well I am honestly going to take a look into it, run through the application process and see what they offer. If I get nothing than I don't feel I've missed out, if they offer however, who knows.

I think your right cybersaga, I guess sometimes I tend to think of a path as operating one way, but it's not that way. If it goes badly, I go back to what I was doing and consider it to be a little vacation from the usual. no harm in that right? I'm working for a consulting company, I should be used to moving around by now.

I'm 25 now, which is getting a little old for the game industry, but I by no means see that as being the end of new things for me. I guess if there is one thing I worry about it's that 1) I like that extra money laying around for working on my cars and 2) I own a couple of my own small businesses, this would mean pretty much selling those off or passing them to friends. There is a certain finality to that.

nofriends, I would definitely recommend that course for fun. It's what I'm doing with my masters right now, and to tell you the truth, I'm getting the degree because I think it's a lot of fun not really for any financial gain or otherwise.

Other benefits: california seems to be where I get most of the parts for my car anyway, however it means a whole lot more regulation on my baby's emissions.

Thanks for your advice guys. Your opinions have actually given me a much different perspective on this.

In my opinion, take the risk... I'm doing that all the time and it works fine for me.. learning new things, meeting new people, new places..
The only danger is that you might become like me one day...
About the last I'm kidding.. Take the risk!

Jimmy, your only 25 (I'm 23), I would take the risk
Will definitly come there and do that course if I am able to in a couple of years, I wonder if we have such courses here

Can't blame her....

</troll>

Hopefully this isn't to late - either way good luck...

IMO this isn't a risk, web developers are a dime a dozen now with a plentiful supply of jobs in mostly every city (as long as you have some experience, which you do) so even if you hate the new job you can go back to what you know you like.

Once you move you will have a job that you could live off if needed and you have a girl who is willing to take on much of the financial responsibilities!

Dude go for it, it is a win win situation!

Career opportunities don't come along everyday, if you have the chance to do something you really want to do and think you would enjoy, then I would suggest you do it.

The worst thing that could happen...is you fail, but then again everyone does every now and then...

Regrets are for those who never try, for fear of failing....

We had a lengthy discussion. Her enthusiasm for the move wained a bit when I told her how much I would actually be working on the games and how little time it might possibly leave for us.
She didn't like that idea as much.
The next day though she reverted to her previous choice though and decided that you just have to see how these things work out, not come up with phantom problems.
So we're going to take a trip out in the near future to see what happens. I want a job in the game programming industry, she wants to own a vineyard. If all works out, both of us will have just that.
It's also possible that this opportunity will just not pan out as well though. I don't have a job until I'm made and offer.
As for my web developing skills, yes, there does seem to be a good demand. I have never had a problem finding a job that pays a little more while I do a little less. That seems to be more and more the case with experience. Still, there is always a fear of the unknown and just the fact that I don't like jumping ship every half a year because things are not quite what I wanted.

I'm 26, was in the real world for 4 years, have had a girlfriend for 3.5 years, back in grad school now. I've learned that this is the priority list (for me at least):

Relationships/Family
Happiness
Work
Personal Time
Hobbies

That seems to work for me if that's any help. You'll have a relationship for your whole life. You need to be happy at work too. Making enough money to support your whole life sometimes requires doing less-than-appealing work for a while but that's just something you have to do. Make sure that in 50 years you can look back and realize you've provided for your kids as well as you could. Decisions you make now can have a large effect on that.

Marry the independently wealthy girlfriend, use "her" money to start your own VG business, move to Aruba and drink margaritas on the beach all day.

Then hire me as a lead designer for your team! I'm assuming you'd pay very well, right?