In the article http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/08/experience-going-indie.ars, interviewees cite their reasons for leaving mainstream game developers to become indies.

As I read, I wondered which were the strongest motivators for becoming an indie game developer. I searched a bit for statistics on this data, but when I didn't find any, I decided to put something together myself.

This poll is intended to illustrate which are the stronger vs. weaker motivators for becoming an indie developer. The questions and responses are based on the above article, various indie start-up interviews, and anecdotes.