See people in many forums talking about how these types of awards that user voting are just popularity contests. Isn't that really the point?
Not really, no, at least not to me. There are already plenty of ways to see what game is selling the best, and how it has been received. Why ask people to vote all together, and not just use metacritic/steam reviews, sales and hand out additional badges based on that? What's a benefit of such badge, if it's handed to a project on a basis of being already very succesful?
If I am looking for "best" award, I do expect at least some kind of process. Did voters even play all nominated games before voting? How were the games nominated? Or is it "I played/watched this game and liked it so here is the vote"? To be able to judge things, on need to experience those things. As such popularity votes indicate just that - popularity. Not a meaningless metric, but also not very helpful or informative one.
