First here is my job background. Currently I work as a web developer with most of my experience in PHP and MySQL, and some in MongoDB. HTML, CSS and JavaScript are also included since that I frequently juggle both front-end and back-end programming. I may not have a CS degree (it's a BFA in electronic visualization) but I have taken a few CS classes and I've exclusively done software engineering jobs since graduating in 2007, so I am not exactly a newcomer to this. In my spare time I have taught myself C++ and C# as well as several APIs and libraries to go with it. I'd like to know if it is still easy for someone with prior programming experience to get into a video game career at an age over 30.

My assumption is that many game studios prefer younger employees because they are more willing to take a lower salary. Right now I am 31 years old but in theory I shouldn't be a hard sell to potential employers salary-wise. Many web programmers who haven't yet taken any lead or senior roles (such as myself) tend to fall in the lower end of the programmer salary spectrum anyways, especially in PHP since competition is high there. But I wonder if my age will be a bigger deterrent to getting hired, or if I'm blowing it out of proportion and should just concentrate on building a portfolio. I am not interested in starting my own business/studio, as it will take me away from the more software focused challenges that I prefer more.

(I'm not sure why anyone thinks people look at engineers' portfolios; ain't nobody got time for that).

Speaking as a 31-year-old ex-PHP/SQL engineer who's now a senior engineer working at a very large and successful game developer... being ~30 is in many ways pretty ideal; you're likely to have a lot in common with both the younger engineers and the more experienced folks (and any company that's interviewing you is about as interested in your culture fit as anything else).

Your resume will be your real problem (I'm not sure why anyone thinks people look at engineers' portfolios; ain't nobody got time for that). I'd suggest studying Jason Gregory's book and then practicing making a game in a bigger, production-grade engine (doesn't matter which; just something that has a working content pipeline).

Even with my seven years of experience I'm still not a senior engineer. Looks like I have some catching up to do! :)

Is using a pre-made engine these days a bigger selling point than making games with frameworks and API's?

Thanks for the advice, Frob. Looks like I am just going to continue my projects while I find a different programming job. There's one possibly lined up for me that will take me towards desktop-based software.

Glad to know that age isn't a very crucial factor in the industry. Also, as someone who has worked for and has seen three start-up companies implode after a year of working for them, I'm used to salary cuts and preparing for other big company shake-ups.