Glad to see this a shared observation. And agree that the calculus has changed.
> Ten years ago, the kind of person who implemented a new compiler because their compiler was slow was the kind of person who started programming a new 3d game engine when they wanted to make an indie game, i.e., the kind of person who never ships anything.
Jonathan Blow made his own language and compiler because C++ was slow and miserable.
He recently released an indie game using that very language using his own 3D engine. The reviews on Steam are Overwhelimgly Positive and sales have so far significantly exceeded expectations.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/499170/Order_of_the_Sinki...