I started out in feature film/television work and was able to make the transition. Much of the skill set transfers over, but you'll definitely have to pick up some new skills. I'd definitely show your best pre-rendered stuff on your portfolio, but you definitely have to have very solid real-time game work as well. If you have really high quality work done in your VFX career, and can get to the point where you show off a similar quality level in Unreal 4 or an equivalent game tool, you should be fine.
One thing that sticks out to me is the fact that you don't like 16+ hour days and insane clients. You might be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the game industry has plenty of cases of those However, if you love the work more, it seems worth it!
Hey show us your portfolio! game artists like seeing feature film work too.
I've met a few people who have moved back and forwards between film and games. Usually they're character artists or animators. Those two specialties seem to have the biggest crossover.
Do not think that the games industry is more relaxed. I've even heard that vfx might be less intense as the involvement of artists on projects is usually shorter and so the crunch doesn't last as long. It's not unheard of for some games companies to do overtime for more than a year at a time.
Games companies have had a greater stability advantage in the past but even now many companies are using more and more contract staff.
I went from school to VFX as well, and went from there to games quite fast.
As Harbinger says, most skills transfer. Its only the technical stuff you have to learn.
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One thing that sticks out to me is the fact that you don't like 16+ hour days and insane clients. You might be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the game industry has plenty of cases of those
I've met a few people who have moved back and forwards between film and games. Usually they're character artists or animators. Those two specialties seem to have the biggest crossover.
Do not think that the games industry is more relaxed. I've even heard that vfx might be less intense as the involvement of artists on projects is usually shorter and so the crunch doesn't last as long. It's not unheard of for some games companies to do overtime for more than a year at a time.
Games companies have had a greater stability advantage in the past but even now many companies are using more and more contract staff.
As Harbinger says, most skills transfer. Its only the technical stuff you have to learn.