C++ is one of those languages that has much subtle complexity, it is a great language with much power BUT all the responsibility is on the developer to know the ramifications of their actions. I think it was Bjarne Stroustrup that said "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do it blows your whole leg off." :)

To get a good grasp on the subtle parts of C++ you really need to read "The Design and Evolution of C++" by Stroustrup. You will end up with a far better understanding of what the language is and why it is that way. (Pre generics etc but still very relevant)

If you want to play with C like languages then C# might be a better starting point as it has garbage collection so most of the resource management issue that trip up noobs are taken away. It does not have multiple inheritance like C++ but many agree that is a bad thing anyway due to the subtle issues it can create unless you are careful. I also has list comprehensions via linq. Linq also supports other monadic comprehensions but that takes some setup or 3rd party libraries.

If you are on windows grab Visual Studio 2013 Community edition... Its free and full blow VS so you get C#, C++, F# and many languages plug into it including Python variants I believe. Great IDE.

I think HTML5 offers the path of least resistance. You basically just need a text editor and a web browser to get started. There's a multitude of tutorials available online for free so it won't cost you anything either.

It can be a practical way to target several platforms at once [1], but the trouble with HTML5 is it isn't beginner-friendly. As well as working on the actual programming language (Javascript) you have to make it work together with HTML and CSS in separate files (you can mix them all together, but that's not really a good idea). You'd still want a decent programmers' editor or IDE anyway, so being able to get started straight away with no more than Notepad and a browser isn't a significant advantage.

Javascript has a different OOP model from the other mainstream languages (C++, Java, C# and python too) which I find harder to learn, especially as there are at least two or three ways to define objects without it being terribly clear what the pros and cons of each are.

[1] But for performance you'll probably have to use WebGL. Whether you write it yourself or use something like Three.js, support for WebGL is a bit iffy in MSIE, Android and iOS.

"C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do it blows your whole leg off."

You try to shoot yourself in the foot with C++. You load a bullet object into the gun object and call the fire method, but you can't be sure if you took aim at your foot, a pointer to your foot,.or just a reference to your foot, or a reference to a pointer to an array of two feet, shouting "hey! That's your foot! Over there!!!"

rotf sooo true.

Also because you forgot to dealloc the mess you have just caused you have ghost feet all over the place haunting you

I started with C++ as well... and honestly I can't see why it's not recommended. It's fairly easy. I found Python annoying for the way it handles it's classes. C# for the way it takes away an amount of control I was comfortable with. And Java for being a strange little thing.

A language being easy is subjective to the person learning it. I've seen several beginners declare they hate C++ because they don't get pointers or templaes and proclaim their love for Java or Python for what it does for them under the hood. I've also seen beginners love how much control C++ gives them and, like you, not care for Java or Python for the amount of control they lose. Programmers have their preferences and usually will promote that language without taking into account that there are languages that are better suited for easing beginners into programming. It is because everyone learns differently and may find one language easier to understand than the other that programmers recommend different languages to let the beginner pick whichever language clicks for them.

It is the complexity of C++ that makes most not recommend it for beginners. If a person is going to do C++ as their first language, then I always recommend Bjarne Stroustrup's Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ 2nd Edition. I actually have a list of books I recommend, but don't have the list on my new laptop at the moment.

If you like to see results quickly to keep you motivated, you can also try frameworks like Unity or Unreal Engine. They both have a free/personal license and have very easy to follow beginner tutorials that let you create a small game in a few hours to break down a few mental walls.

But keep in mind, while they both do a lot of work for you "under the hood", you will still need to learn how to program. If you have never really programmed before, doing smaller learning programs might help you more than starting out with a game as your first project.

On "which language to pick" - find the one that suits YOU the best. Learn the basics in any one - the basic logical concepts are similar in most programming languages -, then try a few (C++, Python, C#, Java, to name a few) and find your favourite. If you get annoyed by the language you are using, you are using the wrong one.