We did a game as part of Startup Weekend and then decided to pursue it after. Hopefully it will go into beta this week, but holy smokes it turned out to be a lot more nuanced than I ever imagined.
Game programming is some of the most satisfying code you can write outside of coding up your own operating system.
It's real time, lots of subprocesses that you have to schedule properly to keep the game ticking along at a playable pace, all kinds of interaction between objects and if you're 'lucky' a good bit of math and 3d stuff.
I have a subscription to Game Developer magazine. It's a typical industry magazine. Very heavy on the advertising and PR, with an occasional high quality article. They sometimes offer free subscriptions, and if you search around you might find a sign-up form. They make their money off advertising, and they seem to be more interested in increasing their readership than collecting subscription fees.
http://lostgarden.com/2005/08/why-you-should-share-your-game...
Anyone can design a fun game, but there is a huge gap between an idea and a finished product.