A computer game idea based on Google Earth

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mattkane

Weaksauce
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
103
Hello

This is my first post to HardForum (HardOCP).

I came up with a funny idea I wanted to share with the possible (public domain) game developers.

Google Earth has pretty good satellite images. There are also accurate road and building information. In my imagination I saw a game screen which uses this information on a simple UFO invasion game. Like the old UFO - Enemy uknown game on Amiga.

Basically it would just be a (multiplayer) game of shooting random aliens attacking your very neighbourhood. I don't know whether Goold would let other applications to use their satellite images, but this is just an idea...
 
there was this old amiga game, i think it was called Virus, you flew around in a UFO and caned around. THAT would be cool with the google maps pics imposed on the ground.

wicked.
 
The problem is there is no real data there. I am a programmer and the only way I can think of to use satellite images in a game is to write a custom algorithm that can analyze the image and transform it into in-game geometry. For roads this would be pretty easy, but for buildings and terrain it would be very difficult. There is no altitude information in those images, at least I don't think there is, which there would need to be if you wanted anything but a flat world. As for buildings, I can't think of any way to turn the images of buildings on the satellite photos into in game objects...

When we start taking true 3D scans from satellites THEN it would be very interesting to use that information in a game... but until then I don't see it happening with anything other than crappy 2D pseudo-games.
 
i remember someone posted an idea here about a racing game with the google technology..
 
Martyr said:
is googles ultimate goal a complete 3d map of the entire planet?
Click to expand...
i hope so. 4D would be better. stepping back into time, viewing snapshots of the globe at any point you choose, since they started capturing. would be sweet.
 
Codex: Google Earth does have terrain altitude, go look at the Grand Canyon. But yea, I do know what you are saying: no buildings, no trees, no bridges ect.
 
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