During the sessions here the Google I/O developers conference they have discussed how applications can be developed to take advantage of the new Google Earth Plugin API. One of the examples provided is a little game that I think just begins to show the possibilities of Google Earth plugin mashups – the game is called Monster Milktruck (NOTE: the GE Plugin is currently limited to Windows – and you have to install the plugin the first time you’ve used it). Once its loaded simply use the cursor keys to drive the little 3D truck around. Look at the bottom of the page for alternate locations where you can place the truck.
About Frank Taylor
Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.
This game is great! I’ve spent way too much time playing it today…
You’re right about the possibilities. Even with something this simple, you could add cones that need to be driven around (and timed), or a tool to measure jump distances. There is bound to be some great stuff popping up soon.
Awesome!
I like the realistic truck shadow when you get temporarly airborne, and the cute comments.
Runs nicely in Firefox 3 RC1.
Now we just need some engine noise (which should change with speed of course).
This is a great start for development with the plugin, but there’s lots of room for improvement. When I go to a place, it takes a little driving around before I actually see the landscape, like I am teleported into a no-mans-land and must drive into the actual world.
Try to jump the Grand Canyon…
This is a really nice add-on for GE. It’s kind of adds more fun to explore. And yes I’ve spent too much time playing it too.
Do yourself a favor and drive the milk truck around the Grand Canyon or Yosemite Valley. It’s one big skate park!
Ross — I haven’t been able to get the plug-in to work at all with FF3 RC1 (though it works with IE8). I’ve tried on two different machines, and both always just say “There was some problem with the Google Earth Plugin. Try reloading the page”. Nothing ever helps. Ideas?
Would love to see something like this done with the flight sim
Re FF3 RC1. Yes, I did get an error message, but I persisted with it. Sorry can’t remember how, but it was just a minute or two of trying.
Yosemite valley is like a massive halfpipe!
I saw this program being used at Macworld with a wii fit board as the driving tool. How do you get the wii fit connected to the compter?
You hook the wii fit up to the computer with bluetooth but I think you have to have google earth with something else to do that. I am wondering how to do this because I saw this at Macworld too.
That’s pretty neat. This will probably be followed by a microsoft simulator of the presidents motorcade and then a Google virtual tour of Sergey Brin’s house.
Fantastic!!
I’ve been in front of Monster Milktruck half day, going up and down in mountains..
This could one of the world’s most popular games if any of following were done to this game:
1. Allow people to see other monster milk trucks, see people live from all around the world.
2. Be able to communicate with the other milk trucks through chat.
3. Go on missions, for example take a milk load from San Francisco to Los Angeles and earn points are money to buy upgrades.
4. Do races against other milk truck.
5. The options are limitless. The vast potential of this game are enormous.
are there other games like this kind in google earth? besides the hidden flight sim(Iv’e been using that soo much its driving me crazy!)
I think i have seen this, i just can’t remember when. Yes,i saw this program being used at Macworld with a wii fit board as the driving tool.
I Googled to find what the Google Earth picture
truck looked like and I found this. What a Blast.
I have been entertained for about an hour now.
Thank You All …..
It’s amazing what’s out here . Nice Work !!!!
Much Appreciated on a cold winter night.
Oh my gosh! So much fun…thanks!
If not anything else, I think this game could be made better simply by making it possible to hit-detect 3D objects. It would make bridge-crossing an actual experience, rather than having to drive under the bridge to pretend you’re driving on top of it.
Driving a truck, albeit it a Monster Milk Truck really is enjoyable.
Would be good, add more links things to racetracks and stuff
I FOUND A GLITCH! Not even Monster MilkTruck is glitchless.
Type in 90° N 40° E in the teleport box (there no °. copy it here, hit ctrl v (paste) in the teleport box).
Awesome game btw. Its a great time killer.
Never thought driving a Milktruck would be so incredibly awesome, and yet so addicting. I like having no noise, it gives me time to gaze at the beautiful landscape of our world. Next time I go to Yosemite,the Grand Canyon, etc; I will be looking at them in a whole new perspective. One of my favorite spots is Great White Thorn in Zion National Park (awesome). As for extras on the game, a compass would be really nice. Also, something to tell me where I am, when I venture off from my destination point (maybe something like a side map). If not, I won’t worry. I’ll always love the simplicity of the game, and how it surpasses the WOW Factor!
This is a fix to my last blog. My favorite area is Great White Throne in Zion National Park, not Great White Thorn. You should definitely check it out! I love it so much, I am going to go there (in real life) this month.
They should make this game for iPhone.
Why doesn’t the link work? It says Mozilla cannot display the webpage.
Haha, that game should be made for the iPad, then I could play it on it lol.
This is pretty fun. But I just ran into one problem. When you try to drive over things such as 3D bridges, the truck just goes right through them and drives on the terrain below it.
This is amazing! I wished they will also make it for the Blackberry smart phones, and not just for the iphone/ipad!
In miami there are floating buildings:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7286/fb2oj.jpg
Miami city in the horizon:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/1869/miacity.jpg
i would like this game more if you could do multiplayer, and race tracks, and have a setting were you could do game mode.
I love the game
It’s going to be fun, driving around google earth
This game is the best, I could play it all day long but my mum kicks me off after about 1or 2 hours.
Wow is this fun! Want a challenge? Put the truck on top of Mount Everest, and then start driving down. See if you can find civilization. I went down a glacier, which turned into a river and then I spent over an hour following that river down down down down. My god, the himilayas are amazing. I never did find civilization. I have also been to the north and south poles, the Amazon jungle The sahara desert, and right smack dab in the middle of Australia. This game is a blast I love it.
I downloaded the source code once to modify the controls and I’d like to download it again but I can’t remember the site where I got the files. Could you help me?
Thanks
I can’t get it to work. I used to play this game all the time and now it won’t do anything. Please help this game is awesome!
I am planning to work on a fix for it. Check back in a week or two.
How is that fix coming along?
I am afraid Google shut down the Google Earth plugin on 14th Jan 2017.
u cant even get on it