This question is for dedicated independent game developers:

My dream is to be a game developer. I am a senior in high school who has taken Computer Science for all four years. I have used Java the whole time, but last year I started using PHP and ActionScript 3 (with Flixel). I also used Game Maker for a brief period. I apologize for this, I wanted to get that out of the way and clarify the fact that I have experience of some kind with game development.

I am stuck at the moment because I don't quite know what language to use to develop games at a professional level. I am seriously interested in becoming a dedicated game developer, but this issue is really bothering me. I would like to know what the best option would be for my case, based on your experiences. Any advice is appreciated.

Things to consider:

• I am only interested in making 2D games (I am not worried about 3D support)
• It would be ideal to use something that can be ported to multiple platforms (so as not to run into this problem later)
• I can't seem to figure out what the industry likes to use

So far, this is what I have:

• I can't decide if it would be wise to stick with ActionScript 3, or move to C++
• I know Flash would be for browser games, but what if I want to make a downloadable game, like Plants Vs. Zombies or Super Crate Box? Would Flash be a smart choice for standalone games, or did they use something else?

Thank you for reading this, as I would like to stop worrying about this and make some games! Also, I hope this wasn't all over the place :)

tl;dr Should I move ahead with AS3 or use something else i.e. C++