Virtual New York City
April 15, 2010 3:00 PM   Subscribe

 
I like the flat cars.
posted by HumanComplex at 3:04 PM on April 15, 2010 [3 favorites]


Crappy music should be outlawed.
posted by HTuttle at 3:11 PM on April 15, 2010


La Mela turned into La Mea.
posted by stargell at 3:12 PM on April 15, 2010


Once again, Bruderheim is snubbed.
posted by mazola at 3:18 PM on April 15, 2010


That music was BOMBASTIC!!! Made my wife think I wasn't working. So now I get to hold the baby. Which is fine I guess, just note the music or something next time thanks
posted by circular at 3:22 PM on April 15, 2010


This should make it easier to tell when google is completely fucking wrong about the location of something.
posted by shmegegge at 3:24 PM on April 15, 2010


This is what I imagine the TurboGrafx-16 version of Liberty City looks like.
posted by klausman at 3:28 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


Giant Boxes
On the island
Giant boxes made of lo-res pics
Giant boxes and 2d cars
Giant boxes all the same
posted by eyeballkid at 3:32 PM on April 15, 2010 [3 favorites]


See the cube ones
See the flat ones
See the rectangular prism ones
Giant Boxes on an island
And they all look the same
posted by potch at 3:54 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


That was really impressive. I want to know how they got the shapes for all those buildings, and textured them so evenly (no distortion as you move upward from the street level, where the camera presumably was). It would've taken forever to do it all manually.

This is just the beginning. Someday we're going to have detailed blueprint-based models with high-res textures available for every major city in the world. Game developers are going to license the environments from Google because it will make more sense to set a racing sim on the real streets of L.A. or a GTA clone in real Chicago than to build something fictitious from scratch. And you'll be sitting there on your couch, playing in some photorealistic simulacrum of your own hometown when you'll see it. It's your house. That's totally your bike out front. That's your dog Duke going completely freaking nuts barking at your character from behind the virtual picket fence.

Hands gripping the controller tightly, you'll approach the front door. The "open" command will appear in the lower right corner of the screen. You'll hesitate, and press Z.

The door flies open with a bang. You leap from the couch in terror.

It's just your mom, her arms full of groceries. She'll see your trembling hands, your bloodshot eyes, and cock her head at you. "I think you've played enough video games for one day," she'll finally say. "Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air?"
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 3:55 PM on April 15, 2010 [21 favorites]


This is tickling the Sim City parts of my brain.
posted by The Whelk at 3:57 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


Very cool.
posted by stbalbach at 4:02 PM on April 15, 2010


It would've taken forever to do it all manually.

I always thought this was part of Google's Building Maker tool, but maybe they just used some sort of automated program and corrected any mistakes.
posted by armage at 5:06 PM on April 15, 2010


I read that as "Dazzling new 3D bedbugs for New York City in Google Earth" and was temporarily horrified.

Buildings though. That's pretty cool.
posted by grapesaresour at 5:12 PM on April 15, 2010


Once again, Bruderheim is snubbed.

I like how it starts at "47 Ave." Forty-seven of what, I'd like to know.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:16 PM on April 15, 2010


Hails and/or farewells.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:04 PM on April 15, 2010


We are living in the future!

Now, please: gimme my replacement organs, cancer immunization, fusion power, personal spacecraft and AI-augments. Please?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:45 PM on April 15, 2010


We are living in the future!

Now, please: gimme my replacement organs, cancer immunization, fusion power, personal spacecraft and AI-augments. Please?
-- stavrosthewonderchicken
posted by eye of newt at 10:29 PM on April 15, 2010


Oops, that was a personal aircraft. Maybe next year.
posted by eye of newt at 10:35 PM on April 15, 2010


Doesn't count until I can get 30-minute-delivery-or-it's-free!

OK, I'm moving the goalposts, but still.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:48 PM on April 15, 2010


It's your house. That's totally your bike out front.

And your mission: to steal it.
posted by dhartung at 11:02 PM on April 15, 2010


Maps are close to obsolete.
posted by grobstein at 11:01 AM on April 18, 2010


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