# Google Maps Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898 "2012-11-23T15:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/21 "2012-11-23T21:04:03Z")
The game’s rigged. I also ended up at Chenonceau Castle. And what are the odds that you would land in front of Stonehenge by chance? I maintain that if you’re completely zoomed out, there are a limited number of places it will drop you when you hover over a country. Nearly every attempt resulted in a dramatic vista rather than a goat farm. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/22 "2012-11-23T23:15:57Z")
In playing around with this, I do see that the farther out you have zoomed, the more likely you are able to land at the same place twice in a row. But it’s not guaranteed, and the more you zoom in, the less likely it is that this will happen. And dramatic vistas certainly aren’t [guaranteed](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=europe&hl=en&ll=56.441686,8.819116&spn=9.938382,19.599609&sll=40.294487,8.503513&sspn=54.249564,78.398438&hnear=Europe&t=m&z=6&layer=c&cbll=56.441686,8.819116&panoid=IwL3KSRSTwZKctxQ_M4PUg&cbp=12,321.22,,0,0). ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/23 "2012-11-24T01:17:54Z")
I threw him down in Eastern Africa and landed just west of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The photo was a family of elephants in the bush. https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-7.675923,38.126057&spn=34.286129,39.506836&t=m&z=5&layer=c&cbll=-7.675923,38.126057&cbp=12,0,,0,0&photoid=po-8373855 ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/24 "2012-11-24T01:55:25Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I threw him down in Eastern Africa… The little guy gets around, doesn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/25 "2012-11-24T14:10:00Z")
Yes, definitely rigged. I hovered the guy vaguely over southern England and dropped him- Stonehenge. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/26 "2012-11-24T14:40:44Z")
Aw, well, now I’m sad. I thought it was sheer luck. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/27 "2012-11-24T20:41:04Z")
Central New Zealand gives me…[a highway overlooking a river](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=new+zealand&aq=&sll=30.34499,-81.683107&sspn=0.935075,1.783905&vpsrc=0&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=New+Zealand&ll=-42.875964,177.539063&spn=25.382064,57.084961&z=5&layer=c&cbll=-42.593422,172.568283&panoid=8e_sHGaYP2IO3f5IYY4cBA&cbp=12,293.35,,0,0). Was hoping for Hobbiton-darn. But as a car love I’d definitely drive that. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/28 "2012-11-24T21:06:01Z")
> [@hammos1](#): > > Yes, definitely rigged. I hovered the guy vaguely over southern England and dropped him- Stonehenge. I hover my guy vaguely in southeastern Ontario; the popup icon shows the Alexandra Bridge overlooking the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Move it a few pixels over and it shows Place d’Armes in Montreal. Not a cow farm in Rigaud, but straight to Place d’Armes. A little bit further over, and it’s the Chateau Frontenac; a little bit further over and suddenly you’re in New Brunswick at that one famous covered bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/29 "2012-11-24T22:09:02Z")
> [@Sally\_Mander](#): > > Aw, well, now I’m sad. I thought it was sheer luck. Zoom! There must be [millions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=563645) of images out there. Shouldn’t that be good enough? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/30 "2012-11-25T07:51:38Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Central New Zealand gives me…[a highway overlooking a river](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=new+zealand&aq=&sll=30.34499,-81.683107&sspn=0.935075,1.783905&vpsrc=0&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=New+Zealand&ll=-42.875964,177.539063&spn=25.382064,57.084961&z=5&layer=c&cbll=-42.593422,172.568283&panoid=8e_sHGaYP2IO3f5IYY4cBA&cbp=12,293.35,,0,0). Was hoping for Hobbiton-darn. But as a car love I’d definitely drive that. You can’t see Hobbiton from the road - it’s about a mile into private land. The whole surrounding area looks very similar, however. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898/31 "2012-11-26T13:51:29Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > I maintain that if you’re completely zoomed out, there are a limited number of places it will drop you when you hover over a country. Nearly every attempt resulted in a dramatic vista rather than a goat farm. I think you’re right. I just tried it again, and I landed in the middle of some undramatic nowhere. Scrolling around… There’s the St. Louis Arch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-game/641898.md?page=1)