Tape drives were a thing in an enormous number of companies and offices, all over the world, prior to the last decade. Even now, loads have them.

They're not only used in such controlled environments, but yes, they are pickier.

I've supported QIC, DDS, VXA, DLT, and LTO drives since the late 90s. The common factor for a good experience has been stable environmentals for the drive. QIC and VXA were probably the most forgiving, with DDS being the worst. I had some bad experiences with DLT, too, but nowhere as bad as DDS. Drives that were over-temped or in dusty environments were the worst, regardless of technology.