It might only be because I'm so new here (it's pretty clear from the amount of posts and your reputation lvl that you've been here longer than most), but my experience has been really different. People welcomed me in, made sure I knew the ropes, and voted for my posts to make sure I never lost heart.
No, it's not always easy to watch someone get a truckload of coin for a post that wasn't the greatest (in your/my opinion), but as we continue to go forward these things will change. The power dynamics will shift as people that stick with steemit gain more and more power as time goes on, especially if the user base/retention continue to grow appropriately.
As far as it being "not really a blogging site that rewards good writers, but rather a game for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to become popular". I think it can be either one, that's up to us. If there are scam artists here, then rest assured that you're right: there no place to hide - especially in the blockchain.
I just can't see how it is going to happen now. I am struggling with seeing how on earth the price of Steem can even go up much let alone other changes needed here. There is nothing to drive it up, but everything to drive it down.
This is because people don't understand the economy of Steem. The base payouts are measured in Steem Dollars, not Steem. One Steem Dollar will always be near One Dollar (USD). So mostly it just means that payouts will involve more Steem. I plan to do a post on this, but haven't had time yet. Soon.