You really have the right attitude and stick with it please.
It's not about corporates or start-ups it is as you say about sustainability.
It's rough that their is a perception that cutting edge work has to happen either in corporate or start-up or the games industry.
I suppose to some extent that is actually true, but there is a middle ground.
You can define that for yourself and it sounds like you are doing.
You already have it figured out :-)