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.