Well. Chris Hecker (Spore) and Jon Blow (Braid) beg to differ. They have their own, somewhat more practical list of five things the aspiring game developer ought to focus on.
In a nutshell:
1. Make things!Their entire essay at Gamasutra is worth reading.
2. Play games, and think critically about them.
3. Learn new things; push yourself in your discipline.
4. Find a peer group and exchange information with them.
5. Learn to program.
