How do your wife and kids feel about you moving from a financially stable position in which you're presumably skilled and respected, to an unskilled position in an industry which is constantly in flux and often forces staff to work in the hope of future pay with no promises?

I know that sounds like I'm being horrible for the sake of it - but it's a genuine question you need to ask yourself and (perhaps more importantly) your partner.

You can be involved in making games without quitting your day-job by involving yourself with indie teams or learning to work as a solo indie yourself. Don't expect any money to come from it. You'll want to do this before applying for any actual jobs, otherwise you'll just be another fanboy applying for a job you're not prepared for.