I am too old for breaking in the industry?

Hi everyone, I live in Mexico City, since high school I decided that wanted to develop games, so I chose to study computer systems engineering, I got my degree and then I took a postgraduate diploma on marketing hoping that it would broad my perspective and apply that insight to videogames, first my plan was to work here in my country as a programmer, save some money and then take a diploma course on game design on one game school, (Vanarts was my target). But later I got an opportunity to work on Gameloft Mexico so I moved to Mexicali to work there as a programmer, unfortunately I think that it was a dead end since we were not doing any game design or development at all, it was only pure porting (we received the finished source code made by a guy in China, compiled the game with the resources, loaded it to the cell phone, sent it to QA, QA detected the incompatibility problems and sent it back to us to correct them), I sticked with it for a while (a year and a half) hoping that the situation would improve and we would be making new games developed there, and also because I am sure I was getting experience on the industry, unfortunately the idea of making new games didn’t happen (and still isn’t happening according to the friends I made there) and the job conditions deteriorated, so I quit.

My main objective is to become a game designer, that’s where I feel my true passion is, but I also enjoy programming (I got a Java programmer certification), so I am right now primarily a programmer.
That’s why before I quit Gameloft I tried to get a job on another company, showing my experience there, so I went to the GDC 2008 and met some people and showed them my resume hoping to land a position as a junior programmer, there were a few that showed interest in me but I think that a factor for not selecting me was that I don’t have a working visa for the U.S.A. or Canada (according to my research you get one of those once you have a job offer, but your employer must fill all the paperwork).

So last year I landed a job as a software engineer here in Mexico City, developing business applications, in my spare time I started learning about DirectX 10, I even made a simple engine that loaded models made in 3DS Max hoping it would improve my resume.
This year I went again to the GDC, this time I was told by many hiring people that I they liked my credentials but basically I am “overqualified” for a junior programmer position and either I did not had enough experience to get a job as a senior programmer or they didn’t have any positions for my qualifications.

Also I am starting to wonder if my age (just turned 28) is or will be a factor for landing a job on making new games.
Since my objective is to become a game designer then I am starting to consider a change of strategy (instead of aiming to get a junior programmer job, aim for something else), I have always liked writing, I have a story I have been imagining it since high school (I don’t think it would make a good game) but I have been considering publishing it as a serial webcomic on a blog or something like that, that way I think I would receive feedback for my real attempt of writing fiction, although I don’t know how much it would help me getting closer to my objective.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.