This is ultimately a supply and demand issue. Google pays high salaries because they have to in order to hire the talent they want. Game devs apparently do not have to, because they are able to fill their roles for lower salaries. Don't pretend like all tech companies wouldn't love to lower dev salaries, they just can't because they wouldn't be able to hire.
Game companies apparently have a meaningful differentiator, which is that working in a gaming context is something people actually value and are willing to give up potential compensation for. This seems especially true at the junior level, which depresses junior salaries relative to other tech companies.
Also, comparing compensation against US FAANG hiring is beyond insane. They pay ridiculous salaries due to the extremely limited and competitive market for hires that meet their caliber. This has driven up salaries, but should NOT be treated as an indicator for what "reasonable" pay looks like across the entire industry.
Game companies apparently have a meaningful differentiator, which is that working in a gaming context is something people actually value and are willing to give up potential compensation for. This seems especially true at the junior level, which depresses junior salaries relative to other tech companies.
Also, comparing compensation against US FAANG hiring is beyond insane. They pay ridiculous salaries due to the extremely limited and competitive market for hires that meet their caliber. This has driven up salaries, but should NOT be treated as an indicator for what "reasonable" pay looks like across the entire industry.