Eclipse Phase: Sunward is up for the Origins Award for Best RPG Supplement this weekend at the Origins game fair. We're up against some stiff competition this year. And yet based on some posts I've read in various online gaming communities over the last few years, there are probably people out there asking, "So what?"

There's a perception that because the Origins game fair has declined in attendance since its heyday, the awards presented there are somehow less momentous than others in the gaming community. And then there's the fact that some important publishers in the industry have skipped submitting their products in recent years.

I'm not personally obsessed with winning awards. I write because I love doing it. However, for better or worse, awards are a boon to us in terms of keeping the business end going. So here's why I think Origins still matters: