>>11998253
>And I'm tired of people comparing videogames to playing a musical performance or participating in a sports event with thousands of people watching, you know, where it actually matters if you fuck up or not
I'm assuming that analogy is made based on the player having to play consistently good during a run in order to clear the game, at opposed to other (typically console) games where once you finish a stage or complete a section you don't need to play it again during your playthrough.

Regarding Ikaruga, don't put too much stock on the statistics. A lot of people buy games on Steam out of FOMO (due to the platform's sales and great discounts) and never play them for more than a few minutes if at all.
Plus Ikagura is a special case because it was heavily promoted back in the day by both media outlets and players for whom it was their first shmup.

And regarding the community, ALL hobby communities have flaws. Every single one.
Even if they're not based on a competitive activity you'll ALWAYS find assholes and posers using the hobby as a way to push people down to make themselves feel better, same as in real life in general. Just ignore them or tell them to fuck off and keep enjoying the games.