You will always hear about bad companies, because bad working conditions and having a shit time makes people want to write about it on the internet! Not many people make a thread for 'How awesome it is to work at *****'. For every bad studio, there must be 10/20 good ones. Get a good folio and find a good one.
Really depends on management. Don't expect zany colour walls and scooter travel wherever you go. The rooms where actual production teams work in Bioware for example is pretty much like the bottom picture. Pop Cap in Seattle however, is more like the top. Every studio is different. The game industry isn't a school, it's a…