Again, I definately sound like a C++ zealot but I am just worried that if people take the easy route and learn things like Unity / C# only, then the indie gamedev scene will really stagnate. Then it only takes one company like Microsoft to make something "really easy" like C# but only for the Windows platform (C++/CX for example) and the whole industry will be back in the stoneage again.
That's an extremely unrealistic and pretty much pointless fear.
There are many people out there that make games in languages like C# that are not only more advanced but much more performant compared to many C++ games because the developer utilizes their skills, knowledge, and proper design methodologies to make reusable code that takes advantage of the tools the language gives you.
I always find it funny when people think that "if I use something that is easier I will produce worse code." No, you'll just produce it faster. I've used C# and C++ pretty much equally throughout my time programming and C++ used to be my favorite language, but after using both I can say C# is almost a better means to an end in every single way. The only reason I'm not even using it is a combination of the fact that C++ is standard usage in game dev, the fact using C# cross platform requires relying on mono and a few other minor things.
In terms of writing in a language, more modern languages than C++ are just so absurdly easier to use that I really think anyone that is disagreeing just hasn't -tried- them. But people have this unrealistic almost elitist fear that "if I stop using C or C++ or something then I will grow lazy and stagnant and never innovate." Really I was talking to someone about C# compared to C++ yesterday involving smart pointers vs just being able to create everything with new and throw it to the wind, and for some unknown reason he got all defensive and said to the effect of: "Well when you're lazy and don't care at all about performance its fine to use a language that babies you like that." Like really people, drop the elitist 20th century view.
A language is just a tool, if you give a hammer to a skilled craftsman he's going to do a better job in a week than a guy with a nailgun will in a month because he knows how to use that hammer and how to apply it to that building structure.