We've given you our picks for the best games of 2007 and now, as always, it is time to let you know what your Shacknews-reading compatriots think. Thousands made their voices heard. Sometimes they agreed with us, and sometimes not; so, we are accompanying the picks with Shacker responses, for that extra personal touch. Special thanks to our internet community for being well-spoken and writing in complete sentences. Go Shacknews!
-By You, our loyal Shackers.

P.S. Please ignore those "Vote Now" buttons. It's too late to vote! Ha!

GAME OF THE YEAR

Winner: Portal (20% of total)
Valve Software (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

"Playing Portal is the first time in YEARS that I have felt like I was playing something really fun and new. I still have fun playing games, but as a developer and gamer for many years now often times when I play games I feel like I am just going through the motions. I know what is around the corner, I can see where the game is going.
"With Portal, I honestly felt like a kid again playing something new for the first time excited to see what would happen next. I actually laughed out loud. The writing was excellent. The game was a perfect length for what it was. It had a beginning, middle, and ending. A good song. Memorable characters. Required some thinking, reflexes, but managed to prevent players from getting stuck.
"For what Portal was, I give it a perfect 10. Best gaming experience in a long, long time." -ease one

"Trying to justify why Portal is #1 is like trying to justify choosing Jessica Alba over Rosie O'Donnell." -johnsto

"It's so hard to pick a top game across all platforms, but in the end I simply had to choose Portal. Portal is the funniest game I have played all year and introduced never-before-seen puzzle elements into a shooter. Even my non-PC gaming friends enjoyed this--and it was short enough that they could play it in one sitting and taste all of its sweet game goodness." -dpgagnon

"It had the best writing, the best new innovation, and the best pacing. You can not give any better accolades than that and Portal deserves every single one of them." -Drewus

"Portal wins simply for what it should mean for the future of gaming. It's completely minimalistic, but immersive. You always understand your situation and the task in front of you without the game having to beat you over the head with directions. It also shows that you can have an amazing gaming experience under the requisite 8 hour time minimum." -mugwet

"Portal executes its design perfectly. Innovative gameplay, witty writing, and the perfect length make it hard to beat." -Psigun

"I felt scared and unsure about what was going on, and at the same time, it was so full of humor and a sense of deepness without the story being shoved down your throat. Proof that a short game isn't necessarily a bad thing." -wildbil52

"Portal is the most innovative game in years. It certainly helped to have the most clever writing in a game that I can remember, but the gameplay alone was enough to justify this as the best game of the year. Bring on the new maps Valve!" -Thresher

Runner-up: BioShock (17% of total)
Irrational Games (2K Boston/2K Australia) (PC, Xbox 360)

"This game made an emotional impact that no other games this year could match. Additional the story was compelling and delivered through experiencing a world that looked as lived in as any in any video game- 'If these walls could talk' as they say. But these walls actually do. -Killboy25

"Bioshock, one of two nominees that is not a sequel or spin-off. They took the risk with a new genre-bending IP, and they won big." -Aasyranth

"This is a tough choice in a great year of games. Bioshock wins because not only was it a great game, but because it was the most interesting and though-provoking comment on the medium." -Sexpansion Pack

"Bioshock - Atmosphere alone worth the admission price. Gameplay itself is not all the original but there is enough creativity throughout Raptue to keep you playing through. One of the few singleplayer games I beat and it's always a good sign when I do that." -RyDogg1

Runner-up: Team Fortress 2 (14% of total)
Valve Software (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

"It's hard to really narrow a game of the year title with so many amazing games, but never have I been so addicted to an online FPS since the days of the original Counter-Strike. So for me Game of the Year is without a doubt Team Fortress 2. It does everything right; great balancing and awesome fun every time I load it up." -itsjeff9

"TF2 lived up to all the hype and is an addicting, fun, and hilarious game. What more could you ask?" -donkey99

"I hope to find a little time for Team Fortress 2 every day of 2008: what higher praise can I give?" -A Sponge

"It's the best for gameplay to me due to great balance, very well done art design, and incredible polish. It's pure MP fun that works well on many levels." -riddartomte

"I haven't been this addicted to a multiplayer shooter in YEARS. Humor, style, excellent TEAM play. For a good, social time online this game has it all." -anthonybean

"Online gaming needed this." -legsbrogan

STUDIO OF THE YEAR

Winner: Valve Software (43% of total)

"Valve has pushed Steam and downloadable content to further extremes, much to the joy of gamers everywhere." -GrimmyD

"Valve. Who else personally responds to so many emails in hilarious ways? 'It appears to be a duck.'" -dpgagnon

"They made a lot of really good games, launched the Steam Community, kept their existing games patched up and fun and they really support their community. A great developer." -Sturm08

"Valve really did bring it home with The Orange Box this year. They were able to appease both hardcore and casual audiences with TF2, which is a feat within itself. They also took a chance hiring the students right out of DigiPen for Narbacular Drop and everyone loves them for it. Just an all-around good showing for Valve this year." -grayscale

Runner-up: Irrational Games (2K Boston/2K Australia) (12% of total)

"Irrational Games did what few developers in the history of the entire medium have managed to do: Create a smart plot with a smart premise and smart atmosphere, and make it sell millions. For whatever triumphs the other studios pulled off, bringing a high brow to a medium that thrives on paper-thin plots and excessive explosions is rare enough to be noteworthy." -KalLanta

"Created Bioshock... without zombies, soldiers, or aliens." -synapse420

Runner-up: Nintendo EAD (11% of total)

"I love Bungie and Valve for their commitments to producing only pure awesome (and embracing their communities like they actually love them), but Nintendo's EAD is in a league of their own. Apple fanboys have no problem dissing Steve Jobs, but there's never been a justified criticism of EAD from Super Mario Bros. to Mario Galaxy. This year, extra special cheers go to them for completing the game we've all been waiting for since the day we all felt like the Nintendo 64 Kid." -snagger

"The amount of quality product Nintendo has singlehandedly pumped out to keep the Wii thriving is commendable, to the same degree they should be rewarded for not following the 3rd party Wii route of flooding the market with identical games and having Brain Training 6 and Wii Sports 4 out already. A combination of the two, quality and pacing, has started to dilute the impressions people have that it's just a destination for shovelware; it can have quality titles of its own that stand up against other current-gen consoles." -amber996

Continue reading for MORE AWARDS.