I'll add to his advice not to quit your day job. Gamedev is unreasonably difficult. It's not software engineering (whatever that might mean). It's a different beast entirely.
I've advised several folks who said they want to quit their jobs to make games to do a compo, a game jam, something small and constrained. Ludum Dare has historically been good. Try but expect not to finish. You'll learn about your own weaknesses and limitations.
Even if you don't finish the first few times, you'll hopefully understand what it takes, or at least think you do.
A good next step is to timebox one or two months, in your free time, to make a game, publish it, _and earn $1_. That's it. Make a buck.
If you can pull that off, and make a buck, you've made it. You're a professional game developer.
I'll also add, it's not the planning that helps, but having goals. If you set out to "make a game" you will never finish. You need a goal in mind. A line that you can cross.
I've advised several folks who said they want to quit their jobs to make games to do a compo, a game jam, something small and constrained. Ludum Dare has historically been good. Try but expect not to finish. You'll learn about your own weaknesses and limitations.
Even if you don't finish the first few times, you'll hopefully understand what it takes, or at least think you do.
A good next step is to timebox one or two months, in your free time, to make a game, publish it, _and earn $1_. That's it. Make a buck.
If you can pull that off, and make a buck, you've made it. You're a professional game developer.