If you are a student you can get the Autodesk tools like 3ds Max or Maya for free at students.autodesk.com. Commercial use is not allowed but if you just want to learn using the tools this might be a good option for you.

Get 'em addicted young ;)

When I do 3D artwork, I use blender but the biggest issue with it is that it changes a little bit too quickly compared to commercial offerings.

Does anyone remember this (not too old) interface?

http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/719/271/71927121_640.jpg

Was replaced with the current one.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Blender_Version_2.570.jpg

Potentially to be replaced again with
http://www.blendernation.com/2013/10/17/new-blender-ui-proposal/

Blender is open-source... but like many open-source projects (i.e Gnome 3) drags in far too many dependencies for a single person to maintain, so it is almost impossible to keep running the version of Blender / interface you like. Though the older interface was a little bit more ugly, it seemed less claustrophobic on smaller laptop screens.

Blender. I'll use blender + priovr suit for mocap (when the priovr suit is released).

Don't have to wait for a suit. I'm thinking they had a couple of tutorial videos on the blender site that showed how to do mocap with multi-colored balls for weapons and motion and basic camera.

Game engines typically have a "default" workflow pipeline which includes a 3D Software, for example - Torque 3D has Blender, but you may use others by preference and do the converting of 3D model file formats.

From a game developer point of view, the file formats of the objects, levels, characters, and so forth, is a critical issue of the pipeline.

For maximum efficiency and effectiveness you are forced to assemble a workflow pipeline of applications and software, so do not hodge podge and clump things together with a spaghetti game source code because that is a dead end for sure. Modular coding such as class files and threading optimizations are the ultimate objectives in order to maximize game performance. Making your workflow pipeline will greatly influence all of these issues and the resulting amount of labor spent in various areas, so choose carefully.

Summary

1) Select a game engine.

2) Use the language or languages which are native to that game engine (for inexperienced game developers, that's one language).

3) Assemble a workflow pipeline within the game engine, preferably the default workflow pipeline of the game engine unless you have compelling reasons to vary by taking alternatives.

For a "one man band" indy developer, it might take months or even a year or two to try different things and settle on a pipeline. Progress as orderly as you can!