Given how easily any user generated mechanisms (polls, reviews, etc) are exploited, I honestly would never put the User version as better (especially knowing how…”dedicated” some fanbases can be)

That said, its not like I necessarily put too much stock in any kind of journalist driven awards for that matter, but the issues there can be more about biases rather than the potential of purely brute forcing the voting mechanisms by a single person or small group of individuals, not to mention biases will still heavily exist in the public anyway

I tend to like more when its the own devs who vote

I believe the developers’ hard work is best honored by units sold. Awards are just subjective opinions.

Copies sold green lights the next project more than any GOTY award.

Just my opinion though.

--Onilink--: no "user generated mechanism" can be launched by a game that is not liked.

Gamers vote for games they love. They have no reason not to.

On the other hand, both journalists and developers often vote for some rather spurious reasons.

It doesnt really change the fact that almost any kind of user voting these days is heavily exploitable.
People setup bots and other means to completely ruin the integrity of the award. Its no different that they are doing it for something they like, the point is that while you can say that critics can be influenced or biased, user voting is usually much easier to compromise and influence at a fundamental level by giving a single person the option to cast hundreds if not thousands of votes

--Onilink--: The proof is in the pudding. The Golden Joystick Awards always have results that are much closer to what is actually popular among gamers than any critic or developer-voted award.

The rest is excuses.

Only a tiny group of people have heard of Golden PP awards.

Also surprised Alan Wake 2 didn't sweep the awards.

Best Visual Design: BG3?

Far from it.

Except in the case of best Xbox game where Starfield won. Looks like damn near everyone is saying Hi-fi Rush should have won.

you're basically saying: it's only a valid game award show if I agree with their picks.