Steemit is indeed a video game, and I have seen it like this from the get go, and yes the bots are playing a more and more important role on steemit, and in today's society too.
But steemit is not just a game of bots, it's a game of skills, it's a social game as well, it's a game of power the longer you last in it.

All of these game mechanics are blended together, in what could look from afar like a cult, and I think that's why people "churn", because it freaks them out. You get sucked in the steemit world , hoping for a better tomorrow , it's like investing in a company, which we are all doing.

I like the idea of more transparency, very nice :) but look at the people in power in this world, and you'll see no transparency.
The more power you get the less transparent you become.