Killing Zombies on Your Phone

One of the most popular Google Maps based games Zombie Outbreak Simulator is now available as an iPhone app.

Zombie Outbreak Simulator allows you to play a game of zombie survival on top of a Google Map of your own neighborhood. In the game your job is to kill off all the zombies before they have picked off the entire civilian population. Alternatively you can just sit back and watch to see how long it would take a zombie invasion to finish off your neighbors.

You can purchase the Zombie Outbreak Simulator iPhone app from the App Store.

I'm the King of America on Google Maps

REGOde is a Google Maps territory grabbing game. REGOde players can choose an unclaimed city anywhere in the world and claim the throne of the city.

Once a player becomes a king of a city they can then post comments on that city and become its exclusive voice for the length of their reign. Other players can visit the city and read the comments and choose to follow your posts.

I'm currently the king of Washington, D.C.. During the beta phase of REGOde you only get to be king of a city for three days. Whilst you are king however you can post tips for visitors to your city or leave comments for your loyal minions.

Google Maps Tower Defence

Earlier today I created a pretty poor 8-bit Map Quest game using the Google Maps 8-bit NES map tiles. It didn't take long for Duncan Barclay to completely overshadow my pathetic efforts.

MapsTD is an amazing tower defence game built using the Google Maps API and the new 8-bit map tiles. I can't begin to imagine how Duncan could have put this together so quickly.

In the game you can choose from a number of location around the world. When you have selected a location you then have to defend it from attackers by strategically placing your defence towers. If you've ever played a Tower Defence game you should know what to expect. If you haven't then where have you been for the last few years?

Now go play - it is amazing!

When Zombies Attack Google Maps

World of the Living Dead is a browser based game of zombie survival that makes extensive use of Google Maps.

In the game you have to lead a small squad as you try to avoid the zombie hordes, scavenge for resources and set up safe-houses. Integral to your mission for survival is your handy Google Map. The map shows important locations in the game and luckily includes color-coded zones indicating where the zombies have already gained control.

So can you survive the World of the Living Dead?

Mapping the World of Minecraft

Mindfold is a service that provides unlimited on-demand servers for the game Minecraft (10 hours a month free - subscribe for unlimited play).

Anyone who creates a Minecraft world in Minefold gets an interactive Google Map of their world. Checkout the 'Explore' page to browse through all the maps created so far.

You don't have to join Minefold though to create a Google Map of a Minecraft world. Minecraft Overviewer and Tectonicus are Minecraft world renderers that allow users to create a Google Map of their Minecraft game.

The Elder Scrolls Are Back & Bigger

Elder Scrolls Maps with Skyrim has extended its map coverage of the Elder Scolls map world.

Now as well as a map of Skyrim, you can view maps of Oblivion and Shivering Isles . All three maps contain categorised markers that show where important locations are situated in the game world.

You can now also submit locations to the Skyrim map with the Skyrim Geolocator. This map allows you to submit locations in the game to the Skyrim Map.



The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Oblivion Map is another Google Map of Oblivion from the Elder Scrolls game world.

The map automatically loads important game locations in the current map view. The locations each have links to a game wiki about the selected location.

Skyrim Appears on Google Maps

You find amongst your possessions an ancient chart of Skyrim extracted from the Elder Scrolls. Now you will never get lost in your journeys through the nine provinces of Tamriel.

Your Skyrim Map includes a magical key that will guide you on your journey. Whether you search for a Dragonlair or an Imperial Camp the map will determine your adventure and light up your true path.

Legend tells that the map was created when the magical Fusion Tables were forged in the fires of the Google Maps API. This legend was imparted to me by the High Elves of Street View Funny.

A New Game - Google Maps Marble Madness

I know nothing about this game other than what appears in the video and the description given by Google on YouTube,

"Coming soon, play your world like never before with a game from the Google Maps team on Google+ Games powered by WebGL."

It looks to me like it is a Marble Madness type game built using Google Maps. That's enough to get me excited. According to the video the game is due to be released in February.

It's Snowing on Street View

A definite theme is emerging this week involving Christmas messages with Street View. Send a Christmas Street View Message is another very clever Google Maps app that lets you send a personal holiday greeting with your selected Street View.

Once you select a Street View location and add your own personal message this app creates a stylised Street View scene featuring snow and your greeting. The app pans and zooms around your chosen Street View accompanied by some nice soothing Christmas related music.

Once you are happy with your personal Christmas Street View scene you can send the URL link to your friends. This app uses WebGL, so you will need to use a compliant web browser (may I recommend Google Chrome).

A Google Maps Christmas Movie

This year it seems that everyone is trying to outdo everyone else by creating the best Maps Google Street View based Christmas Card wizard. Digital photo album specialists Hofmann have really pushed the boat out with the Christmas and Hofmann Christmas movie creator.

Christmas and Hofmann lets you create your very own Christmas movie in which Santa is shown visiting your own home (with some clever superimposed images from Street View). The app also lets you upload up to eight photographs, which are then featured in the finished movie.



Once you have created your personal Christmas movie you can send a link to it by e-mail or share it with your friends via Facebook or Twitter.

Also See

• Shelter - House Bling Christmas Cards - decorate your house in Street View with Christmas decorations
• Share a Carol with Google Maps Street View - send a Christmas carol movie featuring your selected image from Street View
• Xmap-Card - make your own Xmas card by rearranging map tiles
• Everyone Deserves a White Christmas - Create a snow scene by selecting any Street View image

More Google Maps Xmas Cards

I've just received my fourth Google Maps based Christmas card of the day ... and the Xmap-Card is one of my favourites.

Ubilabs' little Christmas card creator segments Google Maps into a number of little squares. The map tile in each square acts independently from the rest so that it is possible to move the individual map tiles around to create your own picture.

Creating your own picture can be a little difficult as it can take a while to find the correct shaped map tile or satellite image. Luckily Xmap-Card comes with a number of pre-configured templates, including a snowman and a Christmas tree.

When you have chosen a template or created your own card you can add a little message and send the URL link for the card to your friends.

Street View Snow

Here is another Christmas themed Street View application.

Everyone Deserves a White Christmas is a neat application that allows you to view any Street View image with added snow.

To create your own white Christmas you just need to add an address to this app and watch as some animated snow falls upon your chosen scene. You can then share your wintery scene via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.

There's something very clever going on under the hood of this app. As the snow falls it actually settles on the solid objects in the Street View image and somehow knows not to settle on the sky.

I can't work out how the snow detects solid objects in the image. I guess the app must somehow detect the color of the pixels in the image and, for example, avoid settling on the parts of the image that show the sky.

Share a Carol with Street View

Share a Carol with Google Maps Street View lets you create and send a virtual Christmas card with some Christmas carollers singing on top of your own Street View scene.

Creating your card is very easy. You just need to choose a Street View scene by entering an address or choosing a famous landmark from a drop-down menu (Big Ben, Times Square, the Eiffel Tower etc). You can then choose from a selection of carols.

Once you have finished a video of carollers will appear on top of your chosen Street View scene and sing you your chosen carol. You can then send your personal carol singing Christmas card via Facebook, Twitter or by sending the link via e-mail.

Shelter - House Bling Christmas Cards

UK housing charity Shelter have created this amazing Street View site that lets you decorate your house with some Christmas bling. Once you enter your postcode and find your house you can choose from a number of Christmas decorations to give your house that Christmas glow.

Once you have finished you can then share your creation via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail. The site has been created to remind you that no-one should be homeless at Christmas - so once you have created your decorated house please remember to give generously to Shelter.

A Street View First Person Shooter Game

Google Shoot View is pretty good fun. In essence the game is just a fire-able machine gun superimposed on top of Google Maps Street View and, to be honest, there isn't much of a game element to this app. But - is is a lot more fun than that makes it sound.

The game is embedded in a fairly accurate reproduction of the Google Maps user interface. So if you want to shoot up a particular location - you know where the search bar is (but do you know where you boss lives?).



(p.s. if anyone from Pool reads this - activate the link tag! The game would be much more viral if users could send a link of a particular location to friends.)

Take a Street View Drive with Google Maps

I think there must be a rule in the automotive industry that you can't have an advertising campaign for a car without featuring Google Maps Street View. It seems it is is Peugot's turn to create an impressive Street View application to promote the Peugot RCZ.

RCZ View is an application that allows you to create any route in Google Maps and then watch a Street View stop motion animation of your created route. It takes a little while for the application to grab the Street Views for a route but it is worth the wait.

If you want to save a little time you can just watch the preprogrammed routes.

Hat-tip: Street View Funny

When Paris Becomes a Suburb of New York

As the world's population expands and urban sprawl takes over more and more rural land there will come a time when New York City encompasses the whole world.

ExtendNY - New York City Expanded allows you to type in any location in the world and find out where you would live if New York's grid pattern of streets was expanded across the globe. For example, The Eiffel Tower in Paris will sit on the corner of 64,857 St and 12,770 Ave, once Paris inevitably becomes a suburb of New York.

The Making of MINI Maps

MINI Maps on Facebook is one of the best Google Maps driving games ever.

When I first reviewed the game back in June I was particularly impressed with the game's track creation and collision detection features. Thanks to Unit9.apps, the creators of the game (together with DDB Paris), we now have some clues as to how they put the game together.

In the MINImaps Case Study Unit9.apps have put together a step-by-step explanation of the game's creation from brief through to finished game. For example, the collision detection was created using image analysis of Google Maps to calculate and visualise the boundaries of the roads.

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Play Gran Turismo with Google Maps

Gran Turismo 5 has used Google Maps Street View to create an interactive banner ad for the game.



The banner ad lets users navigate around three of the race tracks that feature in the game using Google Maps Street View.

To drive the car in the banner ad game use the arrow keys on your keyboard and the mouse. Click on the numbers above the steering world to navigate to each of the three featured tracks.

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Robots Are Attacking on Street View

Robots from the year 2029 have been sent back in time to destroy you and your home!

Yes - the robots are here to get YOU!

Chaos in Your Town lets you create a blockbuster robot film featuring your very own street and house. Using Google Maps Street View as the background to the scenes Chaos in Your Town creates an incredible Flash based movie that shows robots walking down your street, targeting your house and blowing it to kingdom come.

This is the best thing you will see this week. Don't believe me? Then just have a look at the screenshots below - and then go and create your own movie.







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Das Boot on Google Maps

Uboot-sim! is a Google Maps based game, inspired by WWI submarine combat. In the game you control submarines in the North Sea and the Atlantic sea, hunting freighters and avoiding dangerous destroyers.

You can move your ships and hunt down your opponents' boats by right clicking on the map. The game includes some clever collision detection algorithms, which means you can't move your ships over land.

If your ships get destroyed by your opponents you can build new ships and U-boats in your dockyards.

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