Very interesting reading! As far as DrugWars is concerned, everybody here considered it an investment and a way to make a quick profit, not as a game, hence all the drama. Your example with the lottery is quite to the point, only in DW the assumption was we can all win every day...
As for Steemit, there are of course those trying to make a quick buck and mostly failing at that, but there is still a solid core of dedicated users who invest time and money in this platform, we are a community, all we need is to convince others we are worth joining.