Developers want to work for Valve more than they want to start their own studio

The game-development business is getting to the point where almost anyone can start their own studio, and that’s exactly the path that many artists, designers, and programmers are taking — but more would still choose to work at Valve if given the opportunity to do so.

The Half-Life and Portal developer is the most-desirable employer in the game-production industry, according to a recent survey from the International Game Developers Association advocacy group. The company, which produces games and runs the Steam digital distribution game network, is the only entity in gaming to top self-employment. The rest of the list includes just about every big-name developer and publisher — although Electronic Arts is noticeably absent.