Problem is, my ideas tend to be a bit too ambhitious - I want to create something big, then some time down the road realize I'd need a small army to finish it.
. . . and sometimes I don't have any good ideas at all . Writer's block you might say.
As I was telling people at Dragon*Con over Labor Day weekend, it's ok to have big ideas, just start with something manageable, like the first level of a game, and make that level feature complete. But before you start that level, break it down into smaller pieces and determine what HAS to go in and what you would LIKE to get in if you have time, can do it, etc.
However, does that mean that the "super-passionate" game makers set the benchmark for the rest of the mortal world? That because "passion for making games" is defined by their example, anyone who likes to kick back from time to time and, I don't know, read a book or go fishing - is suddenly "not passionate"?
No. I actually encourage the other developers to make sure that they try to go home on time when we're not in a crunch period. We are all workaholics, though, and we all have a very high degree of professional pride in our work, and since our work is more like a hobby, it can make it hard for us to leave. "I've ALMOST got this working!" is a constant refrain around here when someone is working late. 
Passion does not need to equate with workaholism, and that's not what I was implying.
Let's say I have two applications for an entry level game developer position, both applicants fresh out of college, each with a BS in Computer Science. Let's say that neither of their schools offered game design/game programming classes. One of them made games in his spare time and made a game for his senior project. The other talks about how much he loves games and how much he wants to make them and how many great ideas he has for games, but he's never actually tried to make a game, never gotten a book on DirectX or OpenGL, etc. and he made a website or something like that for his senior project. Applicant #2 is probably not going to even get an interview, even if he got better grades than Applicant #1. Why? Because Applicant #1 is obviously a self-starter, driven, and probably will need less direction than Applicant #2.
Now, if I have two applicants who both have game projects listed, that makes the choice harder for me. Applicants need to do everything that they can to make their application stand out above all the rest in the game industry because there is that much competition to get in, particularly at the entry level. If you want to make games and you can't find someone to hire you (even if you're willing to move), don't let that stop you from making games. Enter the Independent Games Festival and other contests. Submit your games to us to try and get them on Impulse. Submit to XBox Live or Garage games. You will learn so much more in making a game than you will in any college class, and having a resume with 2-3 really good games on them (even if they're casual) puts you ahead of other people.
I've got my copy of C++ For Dummies which I've been banging my head against for months, but somehow it's just not sinking in. I'm beginning to think it's the book's fault, because I know I'm capable of understanding programming.
I didn't find it very helpful either when I was in high school trying to pick up C++ on my own. I liked the book that we had in college by Deitel and Deitel, and some of my friends liked C++ in 24 hours or C++ in 21 days.
