Tell them to work in robotics instead. A lot of the technical challenges you find in games can be found in the computer vision and robot simulation spaces.
Embedded usually pays worse than equivalent jobs writing "big iron" software. Is robotics any different? What would you recommend as an entry point to the field?
Robotics is great, you can make bank and it’s not a saturated job market. I would say get started at one of the driverless car startups, they are at the forefront of the robotics industry now as it would relate to gaming. Things like industrial robotics and control heavy systems (think Boston Dynamics) might not appeal to game devs.