Also i don't think any classical functional languages are making a dent in game programming atm so this doesn't sound too relevant to the discussion as those wouldn't be the alternative one'd be likely to pick from C++ would it?

Not likely.

I mean, there are games that exist using functional languages, and Google finds a few examples where people have done it as a counter-argument to people saying you cannot do it. But that doesn't mean you can realistically get a job with it.

Moving back to the thread topic, you absolutely can find game programming jobs that don't require you to know C++. Many people focus on platforms like Android (Java) or the client side of the web (Flash, Javascript, etc.)

On Gamasutra's job board there are hundreds of programming jobs that don't require C++. On our job board, 1/3 of the jobs are not C++, instead asking for ActionScript/Flash skills. (We only have 3 paid jobs up there currently?!)

However, if you intend to work in the industry long term you had better become at least conversationally fluent in the language.

I know that too, but in C# it's just LINQ, i was speaking for C# in this "is C++ a must" thread, so i'm not going to use non C# terms. Overall the goal was mostly to showcase that those kind of sample tests were pretty useless anyway as API can turn those into a 1 liner regardless of languages.
Also i don't think any classical functional languages are making a dent in game programming atm so this doesn't sound too relevant to the discussion as those wouldn't be the alternative one'd be likely to pick from C++ would it?

I only used Python because the code is a lot clearer than the C++ equivalent.

What you are talking about is perfectly possible in C++, though. Off the top of my head:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
#include <boost/range/irange.hpp>
#include <boost/range/numeric.hpp>
 
int main()
{
    std::cout << boost::accumulate(
            boost::irange(2, 1001),
            std::string("1"),
            [](std::string sum, int elem){ return sum + ", " + boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(elem); }
        ) << std::endl;
}

Just to share some personal experience.

I applied to an AAA-studio for a job specifying that you should have good knowledge in C#. They contacted me and wanted me to write a demo project with their specifications - which should be coded in C++.

So I've found that even if the job ad doesn't say C++, it's safe to say you better know that too.

Cheers,

Amadeus