This topic makes the rounds every so often and it’s worth a discussion -schools for 3d art are in my experience mostly a waste of time. Students coming out of them are on average far below entry level standards because the curriculum in for profit schools are nowhere near aggressive enough (because they prioritize pushing students through over pushing their skills up) -yes you absolutely must “obsess” over this industry if you want any success in it and even then it’s not guaranteed. Luck and life circumstance are huge unforeseen factors and like everything else…it’s a big fucking gamble. I wished it were fair but it’s not. Sure every major success story got to where they are with hard work but luck is always without exception a factor on every timeline. -I’m 40 now and have been working in games since I was 22. While I was fortunate to meet my wife early on I’ve more or less sacrificed a social life for the better part of my 20’s and 30’s to stay focused on my career with late nights and countless hours honing craft and pulling overtime or working freelance. I don’t regret this but it’s a factor you should consider when thinking about the kind of lifestyle you want to live. It’s also been incredibly hard on my wife as well, again another important consideration. -the games “industry” will never love you back the way you might want it to and you need to accept this fact. It’s a job and we make products (with passion) but at the end of the day we make products for others to enjoy. Stability is never guaranteed and your personal politics may not align with the reality of the markets you serve, and yes you absolutely serve the market. - last but not least the industry is in many ways shrinking, there is no way around that fact. We are probably 6-10 years away from any sort of “recovery” assuming it happens at all. Studios of the future will likely on average have less staff per department than previously and employers have their pick of the best. If you live in a western country with high cost of living your competition is now global and most everywhere else is far CHEAPER to employ than you are while also being just as good if not better. I can not in good conscience recommend game development openly to anyone other than the most obsessed and driven individuals and in those cases you already know who you are. I love working in games because I love the craft and working with creatives, I love games as a medium. I am not here to gloat or instill fear and yes I see too many industry devs wield this stuff like a badge of honor which it never should be, it’s not an admirable thing to sacrifice so much for so little. What is admirable is a shared love of the craft and creativity that goes into making games. If that’s what your after and you can hold onto it while keeping a precious few loved ones close then maybe just maybe fortune will favor the bold and I wish for everyone nothing but long life and success whether the game development path is right for you or not.