Fly into landmarks with Google Maps flight sim

by Kyle Orland { Aug 10th 2006 at 8:35AM }

Since Google released its Google Maps API to the public, budding game designers have used it to place everything from golf to Carmen Sandiego style terrorist foiling over satellite images of the world. Now we can add a Flash-based flight simulator to that list. Goggles lets you fly a crude, 3D plane over a selection of major cities from around the world (and the solar system -- you can also fly over sections of the moon and Mars).

There's no explicit goal, but you can fire cartoony circular bullets at the ground to leave temporary black pockmarks on the landscape. You can also crash your plane into famous landmarks, a feature sure to draw the ire of conservatives who will say the game is training a new generation of terrorists to destroy our very way of life. Our only real complaint is that the plane can't go very fast or zoom out very high, which limits how quickly you can find your favorite landmark to destroy. Here's hoping for a version 2.

[Via Jay is Games]

Tags: flash game, Flash games, FlashGame, FlashGames, flight sim, Flight simulators, FlightSim, FlightSimulators, Google, Google maps, GoogleMaps

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

C. Grant @ Aug 10th 2006 8:40AM

First post! W00t!

Errr ... ahem ... everyone give Kyle a nice warm 'stiq welcome! That means you can't call him a "LOUSY LOSER GOOGLE FANBOY" just yet.

jc @ Aug 10th 2006 8:51AM

Welcome Kyle, nice to have you aboard...

Marty @ Aug 10th 2006 8:53AM

I tried DC, but I can't seem to find my work... I wish there was a way to see street like hybrid... and speed up and down or zoom out!!!!

Kyle Orland @ Aug 10th 2006 9:03AM

You can speed up and slow down the plane using the a and z buttons, but the top speed is still a relative crawl.

the_game_master @ Aug 10th 2006 9:22AM

^

use the up/down, left/right directional key on your keyboard

Chad @ Aug 10th 2006 9:41AM

Wow...pot shot at conservatives. Not all conservatives have a videogame vendetta. Some of us actually like to frag our friends (or random dirty mouthed jr. high kids on XBL) now and then. And do I need to remind you that Hillary Clinton is on the "violent videogames are destroying America" bandwagon?

Andrew Yoon @ Aug 10th 2006 10:00AM

Hmm... maybe it's because I'm a NY-er, but I feel like this headline's a bit inappropriate in a post 9/11-era.

Bearxor @ Aug 10th 2006 10:13AM

You want to try that entry again without the obvious political bias? It seems to me there are just as many liberals hating on violent video games as there are conservatives. Perhaps replace the word 'conservative' with 'elected representatives'?

Scott Jon Siegel @ Aug 10th 2006 10:17AM

On a similar note, NAVTEQ and Microsoft have recently paired up to integrate the same satellite data that drives Google Maps into the latest iteration of Microsoft's Flight Simulator series. More information and meanderings on potential here:
http://www.awayfromkeyboard.org/?p=33

And is this the same Kyle Orland of the Video Game Media Watch? A nice, solid addition to the Joystiq team! Looking forward to reading more of your posts. - sj

mattx @ Aug 10th 2006 11:14AM

"a feature sure to draw the ire of conservatives who will say
the game
is training a new generation of terrorists to destroy our very way of
life."
so if conservatives are against flying planes into
buildings, then liberals are for it? liberals = terrorists? is that what you are trying to say joystiq? lol

seems a bit odd for the article writer to be making a political statement considering the UK plane plot today

tgoj @ Aug 10th 2006 12:33PM

Fly into landmarks? Seems like this'll be your last post here, matey.

derrick @ Aug 10th 2006 12:39PM

I'm sure Google is loving the timing of their release with the story all over the news of the foiled terrorist plot to once again turn planes into weapons.

22samurai @ Aug 10th 2006 1:28PM

I would like to see this news item reposted without the tacky references to 9/11 and the obvious political bias. This is deceptive headlining at its worst.

Sometimes a flight sim is just is flight sim, and most flight sims naturally have to make buildings solidin the interest of portraying flight realistically. If one chooses to crash a virtual plane into virtual buildings, misusing the system, it is that person's choice, but that's not the core gameplay element of Goggles and should not be portrayed as such.

This kind of inflammatory writing should not be tolerated. I expect Joystiq to have better journalistic standards than what has been shown in this article.

Judd @ Aug 10th 2006 1:30PM

Welcome Kyle, but mattx is kinda right in that it's pretty unfortunate luck that this article is being written considering the news today.

cringer8 @ Aug 10th 2006 2:14PM

It's pretty unfortunate that I'm flying tonight after today's news. Apparently the "threat level" is heightened, so now I can't bring a soda on the plane.

Will I feel safer because of it? Hell no. Just thirsty.

josh @ Aug 10th 2006 5:27PM

"so if conservatives are against flying planes into
buildings, then liberals are for it? liberals = terrorists? is that what you are trying to say joystiq? lol"

flying a cartoon plane into a photo of a landmark in a web game != flying a plane into a building

Sean DL @ Aug 10th 2006 5:57PM

"I'm sure Google is loving the timing of their release with the story all over the news of the foiled terrorist plot to once again turn planes into weapons."

Not weapons, they were going to blow them up..They don't do the same trick twice...Even this sounds desperate....

But that's another blog topic...