Advertising and entertainment metrics firm Rentrak has revealed that Bethesda's
Fallout 3 for Xbox 360 was the top title in 2009 among video game rentals, based on spending.
In fact, 17 out of the top 20 spots were Xbox 360 games, says Rentrak. It measures rental charts through a proprietary system that tracks rental transactions from over 65,000 proprietors, including video stores, online services and kiosks.
THQ's
UFC Undisputed was the second most popular rental, followed by
Call of Duty: World at War. Though it was the biggest seller of 2009,
Modern Warfare 2 only ranked 12th -- likely, the title was a sure purchase, not a rental, for many interested consumers.
Rentrak's list of the top rentals of 2009 are as follows:
1.
Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks, Xbox 360
2.
UFC Undisputed (THQ, Xbox 360)
3.
Call Of Duty: World At War (Activision, Xbox 360)
4.
Resident Evil 5 (Capcom, Xbox 360)
5.
Gears of War 2 (Microsoft, Xbox 360)
6.
Mortal Combat vs. DC Universe (Midway, Xbox 360)
7.
Left 4 Dead (EA, Xbox 360)
8.
Saints Row 2 (THQ, Xbox 360)
9.
Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii)
10.
Halo Wars (Microsoft, Xbox 360)
11.
Madden NFL 10 (EA, Xbox 360)
12.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision, Xbox 360)
13.
Skate 2 (EA, Xbox 360)
14.
Street Fighter IV (Capcom, Xbox 360)
15.
Major League Baseball 2K9 (Take-Two, Xbox 360)
16.
Fable II (Microsoft, Xbox 360)
17.
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Take Two, Xbox 360)
18.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo, Wii)
19.
Mario Party 8 (Nintendo, Wii)
20.
Grand Theft Auto IV (Take-Two, Xbox 360)
Elsewhere in
its announcement, Rentrak noted its tracking of the most-advertised video games of the year in U.S. retailer circulars, such as those for Target, Wal-Mart, and other stores.
In this intriguing chart, the Xbox 360 as a platform dominated, with nine titles in the top 20, as opposed to five for the Wii and three for the PlayStation 3. However, it was Wii stalwarts like
Wii Sports Resort and
Wii Fit that helped the Wii to three of the top five spots.
