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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 305842" data-attributes="member: 94">Just a few thoughts as they come to me (I am trying to read through the whole thread in one sitting):I definitely think the awards need to remain a fan award. Morrus has already expressed frustration over the publishers' tendency to co-opt ENworld for their marketing purposes, and giving them any input into the vote is just another step in the wrong direction.I don't agree with excluding/categorizing companies according to their success or market penetration-- or their lack thereof.I think there's merit to dividing some categories into Open categories and Licensed categories (or, d20 vs. D&D).I don't think you need 1st place, 2nd place, etc. awards. I think the nominations themselves cover that angle quite well. If you think it's necessary then only nominate three entries, not five.In general I think the real merit is in being nominated. Yes, after the nominations, it becomes a popularity contest-- but if this is a fan award, why is popularity a bad thing? These awards don't exist for the publishers, they are for the fans. I think the publishers need to be content with a nomination from the judges and not sweat the popularity contest portion of the award.One last comment: A while back, I can't remember if it was here or on one of the OGL forums, one of the publishers made a comment about over-estimating the importance of the internet in d20 marketing. If the internet is a subset of gamers, and ENworld is a subset of that, and those who actually VOTE in the ENnies yet another subset of that...? You see where I am going? Does "ENNIE WINNER!" really carry that much more weight than "ENNIE NOMINEE!" Do you actually envision Joe Gamer picking up one book or another off the game store rack because it has an ENnie award seal on it? Do you envision a distributor carrying one product or another based on the ENnies?I am not saying this because I don't personally value the ENnies. I would have been thrilled to be nominated. I would have been thrilled to get an honorable mention. (Heck, I would have been thrilled to get mentioned at all!) But whether you are looking at the ENnies as a marketing tool or just for bragging rights, I can't see raising a fuss. I don't understand WHY it is a problem that WOTC swept the popular vote, or stands to do so again in the future. Was there some problem with the judges' nominations or the popular vote? Was some grievous error committed?Wulf</blockquote>

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