Killing off XNA showed a huge support and commitment for the indie scene. Also the non existing homebrew scene showed how much exactly MS value the enthusiasts.
I personally know 4 students that were focusing 100% on XNA development; They're now scrambling to learn SDL and OpenGL ES after being burned by Microsoft. Seems the only developer embracing indies is Valve, and they're going to be the only ones focusing on that blue ocean this generation.