Well it is a different genre thand SHMUP. But Gunlocked can be considered shmup I brlieve.
I’m of the impression this is the same dynamics as seen in other competitive appealing activities where almost anybody can join and dream of becoming famous and rich, like starting a band or a YouTube channel, playing sports and - according to Freakonomics - drug dealing. The profit distribution is extremely skewed towards the top, leaving most of the participants with wages well below average.
Steam link. Very positive reviews, sightly more than 10 bucks in the sale. Has not yet been cheaper.
And yet, nothing of value was lost. What a paradox!