If instead of talking about Steam, we were talking about iTunes Store or Google Play or XBox Live, 100% of the Steam users here would immediately start laughing about how stupid "those people" are, to be using the store to determine what to buy. That is obviously the very last intell source that you'd use. THAT WOULD BE STUPID.
But somehow, if you're a Steam user, all your common sense happen to be inapplicable, whenever we happen to be talking about Steam (and you get your common sense back whenever you talk about the iTunes store or XBox Live). You and they can each look down on each other, correctly secure that you're wiser than the other, and oblivious to the fact that you're also dumber than the other.
And you both chuckle at the guy who uses Amazon's star ratings to determine which widget to buy from Amazon. How fucking moronic is that guy? Doesn't he know how to Google for reviews? He stares back at you, being dumb in his Amazon purchases, yet shaking his head at how idiotic you two behave, when you're shopping for software.
But anyway, no, obviously of course, you wouldn't ever actually use Steam, to determine what games to buy on Steam. (Steam's rating system is totally irrelevant, because they're selling the things they're trying to rate. It's impossible for anyone to do a good job of that, unless you define the job as Fuck The Users.) To determine what to buy on Steam, you use the same method as you'd use for any other store: you go read disinterested third party reviews published on disinterested third party media, just like you expect the Amazon and Apple and Microsoft and Google customers to do, and you shake your head with sadness and despair for humanity's dim future, every time you see people doing it exactly, perfectly wrong.
But NOOOO, the one store I use, happens to also be the first store in history to have done it right and be trustworthy! Because I am SPECIAL!!! My vendors never have conflicts of interest!
"Dumb all over, yes we are, dumb all over, near and far, dumb all over, black and white. People, we is not wrapped tight." -- FZ