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Google: Ghostbusters Most Searched Game Of 2009

by Meagan Marie on Dec 03, 2009 at 03:18 AM

As 2009 draws to a close the lists start rolling in. One of the more entertaining inventories of the past 365 days is Google’s Zeitgeist roundup – taking a look at the most popular search terms of 2009 as relates to celebrities, sports and entertainment.

Breaking down the entertainment sector, Google revealed the top searched lyrics (Lady Gaga’s "Poker Face"), TV Shows (Glee), internet memes (Kanye West), movie trailers (New Moon), concert tickets (Taylor Swift) and yes, video games. You can find the list in full below.

Video Games

  1. Ghostbuster
  2. UFC
  3. Saw
  4. Bakugan
  5. Batman Arkham Asylum
  6. Twilight
  7. Fifa 2010
  8. Modern Warfare
  9. Transformers 2
  10. Resident evil 5

Notice anything odd? Perhaps that most of the top searches don’t necessarily relate to video games? “Ghostbuster” takes the number one spot, but we’re convinced that the film’s anniversary and the ever-popular Halloween costume aided its victory more than the video game. “UFC” and “Saw” both seem laughable in comparison, as their primetime and big-screen counterparts more than likely did the heavy lifting.

Bakugan – an immensely popular television show aimed at children – has a video game counterpart. But recognizing the game over the anime, collectable card game, action figures and constantly spawning merchandise would be on par with discounting the success of the Pokémon trading cards, show and movies. Still, it proves that the multi-tiered approach to entertainment does wonders. 

“Batman Arkham Asylum” seems to be the first legit entry on the list. Not to write off Grant Morrison’s graphic novel, but Rocksteady Studios deserves their accolades. 

Perhaps the most amusing entry on the list is number six – “Twilight.” Playing a game of word association, most likely from Twilight Princess or Tiberian Twilight, Google seems to have fooled themselves into thinking that the legions of teenage girls searching for sparkly vampires were, in fact, trying to sate their Legend of Zelda fix. 

The last string of contenders seem genuine (aside from Transformers 2). “Fifa 2010,” “Modern Warfare” and “Resident Evil 5” were most definitely terms on our collective brains this year.

While Google’s 2009 Zeitgeist list may have missed the mark when it comes to video games, it makes for an entertaining read. Do you disagree with any of our above conclusions? Think that Ghostbusters: The Video Game really was a heavyweight this year?