Google Maps mashups are great, but one day when all major browsers support 3-dimensional graphics, the Google Earth API will rule. Frank Taylor from the Google Earth Blog has a great review of a Google Earth game called Ships, created by PlanetInAction.com’s Paul van Dinther.
Ships , which relies on the Google Earth browser plugin for graphics, lets you captain a variety of ships in the Google Earth world: barges, container ships, cargo ships and a cruise ship. You can guide your ship across the globe (even across land at the moment) and there is even realistic sound effects include the ships engine and a rather loud foghorn.
Built using the Google Earth API, Flash 8.0 and Javascript, Ships uses Soundmanager 2 for sound effects and Google SketchUp for 3D modelling. This is a very cool use of the Google Earth API and just a glimpse of what we’ll see from Google Earth developers in the future. Check out Frank’s quick review below to get some tips and tricks.