the buzz log
It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's Super Obama!
John McCain labeled Barack Obama the "biggest celebrity in the world."
But if you ask us, you're not really huge until someone makes you the star of your own video game. And developers at Zensoft have done just that with Super Obama World, a new online game that is surging 400% in Search.
Playing on the Obama-mania of so many of his cyber-aged supporters (young voters preferred Obama more than two to one), the game combines the nostalgia of Super Mario Brothers with a biting political message.
Obama fans who followed the endless campaign reality show can now relive the experience through game fantasy. The only controller you need is your computer keyboard — no joystick required. This game is old-school: Just right and left arrrows, and the good ol' space bar to jump. As Obama, you'll encounter Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue (where Sarah Palin spent thousands of dollars on outfits), dodge lobbyists wielding bags of money, and jump over pigs wearing lipstick. You can advance to the "Alaska" level and the "Republican National Convention" level.
The developers have promised more episodes as Obama goes through his presidency. And what could future episodes look like? Obama better do some cool stuff as president, or it's going to be "Game Over."
Filed under: Video Games, Politics, Barack Obama
The Top Darths
Darth Vader didn't run the galaxy all by himself. But with his mind tricks, neck snaps, and formidable combat skills, he sure made it look easy. Still, such a workload had to be exhausting. Perhaps that's why the heavy breather hired an apprentice in "The Force Unleashed."
The game, which places you in the shoes of Vader's special helper, is garnering mixed reviews. But that hasn't slowed its buzz. Like a father determined to slice off his son's hand, gamers are tracking down reviews, cheats, and videos for the latest Star Wars adventure. Disciples seem particularly interested in whether the iPhone version is worthy of their cash.
In honor of Vader's contributions to the field of intimidation and destruction, we thought it appropriate to track down the most popular Darths in the Search galaxy. Who knew Darth Bane and Darth Talon even existed let alone had groupies? The surprising number of searches on "darth sidious childhood" implies some folks have a Freudian view of the dark side of the Force. And searches on "plus size darth vader costumes" are sure to expand as Halloween draws closer.
Mr. Vader, you may lack interpersonal skills, but you're still everybody's favorite Darth. Just look below for proof. And, please, don't choke us.
| 1. | Darth Vader | 6. | Darth Bane | |
| 2. | Darth Maul | 7. | Darth Plagueis | |
| 3. | Darth Reven | 8. | Darth Talon | |
| 4. | Darth Nihilus | 9. | Darth Krayt | |
| 5. | Darth Sidious | 10. | Darth Sion | |
Filed under: Video Games, Star Wars
Lyrics and Tabs to Rock Out To
The Rock Band video game lets wannabe musicians start their own, well, rock band. Now it's back for an encore. The sequel, out now, features dozens of blistering tunes that gamers can shred, sing, and pound the plastic drums to. Ah, but which songs do players really want to rock out to?
We took a look at the top "tab" and "lyrics" searches from the past seven days and found a healthy mix of musical genres. When it comes to lyrics, rock groups aren't all that popular. Lil' Wayne, a rapper, has the most popular lyrics in Search and Kid Rock is also in the top ten. Sheesh, instead of Rock Band 3, how about Rap Group 1?
On to guitar tabs, where Metallica rules the roost. In second place? The anti-Metallica: John Mayer. And the makers of Rock Band should take note: If they want Rock Band 3 to be a success, consider including Stairway to Heaven. It's the number one tune, even topping lookups for "led zeppelin tabs" by a healthy margin. Ohhh, it makes us wonder.
Filed under: Video Games, Lyrics
Confirmed: A Tiger Walks on Water
Tiger Woods is one of the most dominant athletes alive. But is he really a mortal like the rest of us? Footage of the golfer walking on water has some folks wondering if he's actually something more... divine.
Well, not really. The footage was just a viral video. Still, though obviously a joke, the clip has started a firestorm of buzz. So what's the story? Apparently, in an older version of the Tiger Woods video game, players could "walk on water" when their golf balls landed in the drink. Fans of the games noticed this and pointed out the bug by uploading clips to the Web. EA Sports, the publisher of the series, decided to have a fight back by posting a video of Tiger casually strolling on water a la Jesus. The clip concludes with, "It's not a glitch, he's just that good." In your face, gamers!
Naturally, news that EA had gone to great lengths to have a little fun stirred up the bloggers. An article from USA Today notes that the video is getting millions of views and that another of Tiger responding to a Rubik's Cube will likely garner a lot more eyeballs. Meanwhile, Mashable writes that it is nice to see major companies like EA "get" the Web subculture. Indeed, a clever response to customer criticism goes a long way. Finally, though the ad may seem original, TrendHunter points out that this isn't the first time an athlete has been compared to Jesus Christ. In "The Theater of Dreams," an upcoming musical, David Beckham gets the whole son of God treatment. No word on whether he trades in his cleats for sandals.
Filed under: Video Games, Viral, Tiger Woods
Guns N' Roses: Locked and Loaded
Back in 1987, Axl Rose welcomed us to the jungle. Now it's time to return the favor. After more than a decade of silence, Guns N' Roses will finally (finally!) release a new single into the wild.
But his band's return is only part of the story. More interesting is the fact that the single, "Shackler's Revenge," will premiere as a track for the Rock Band 2 videogame. The New York Times points out that the deal "underscores how important to the music business games have been."
The forthcoming song also suggests that the oft-delayed Guns N' Roses album, "Chinese Democracy," may hit store shelves this fall. We'll believe that when we see it, but we have to admit that the timing does make sense.
Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of speculation as to Rock Band 2's track list. Searches on "rock band 2 songs," "rock band 2 rumors," and "rock band 2 master tracks" are all on the rise.
Rock Band's rival, the forthcoming Guitar Hero 4 is also getting a lot of love. Similar searches for songs, rumors, and instruments are hitting a high note. Can Guitar Hero 4 book a band that will generate a GnR level of buzz? Perhaps Paul and Ringo hold the answer...
Filed under: Video Games, Music
Hanging in the Balance
Wanna hear something you've probably heard 5,000 times before? The Nintendo Wii is really hard to find. Wanna hear something else? Thanks to Wii Fit, the hunt ain't getting any easier.
Already an unqualified hit with gamers and those longing to lose a few pounds (not always two mutually exclusive groups), Wii Fit is attracting even more buzz thanks to upcoming titles that take advantage of the game's balance board.
Not surprisingly, many of these games are fitness oriented. Jillian Michaels, the trainer best known for reducing the morbidly obese to tears on "The Biggest Loser," will lend her likeness to a game hitting shelves this holiday. Ominously titled "Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009," the game drew some notice on PhillyBurbs.com.
Also picking up steam is a rumored Spider-Man game that will supposedly work with the balance board. Gamers can apparently lean to and fro to control the ol' Web-Head. Not exactly like being Spider-Man, but a step in the right direction for obsessive fans.
Finally, some gamers aren't waiting for publishers to come out with games that work with the Wii Fit's balance board. Instead, they're taking things into their own hands. UberGizmo reports that some folks are using the board to play World of Warcraft. Meanwhile, according to Wired, others have found a way to use the balance board with a custom game called Body Surf.
If only people could track down a copy of Wii Fit, they might be able to try these games, too.
Filed under: Video Games, Nintendo Wii
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lin Chi Ling | Breakout! |
| 2 | Gloria Diaz | Breakout! |
| 3 | Freida Pinto | 27459% |
| 4 | Gloria Estefan | 9975% |
| 5 | Gloria Velez | 6463% |
| 6 | Gloria Trevi | 3878% |
| 7 | Faith Hill | 2081% |
| 8 | 60 Minutes | 1114% |
| 9 | Alexis Denisof | 994% |
| 10 | Lee Ann Womack | 987% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NFL | +464 | 575 |
| 2 | Britney Spears | +194 | 316 |
| 3 | Hi-5 | -11 | 244 |
| 4 | Black Friday | +23 | 212 |
| 5 | Freida Pinto | +198 | 199 |
| 6 | UFC | -24 | 194 |
| 7 | Club Penguin | -30 | 161 |
| 8 | Gloria Estefan | +149 | 150 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.