Expert GeoGuessr Players Know That Google Maps Spot Instantly (nytimes.com) 34
In a game called GeoGuessr, competitors try to pinpoint where in the world a Google Street View image has been taken. Some can do it in seconds. From a report: An unremarkable stretch of highway and trees, as seen on Google Maps' Street View, appeared on the screen. It could have been anywhere from Tasmania to Texas. "This is going to be south Philippines, somewhere on this road down here," Trevor Rainbolt said instantly, clicking on a location on a map of the world that was less than 11 miles from the spot. A road winding through woods was up next. Lake Tahoe? Siberia? "It looks like we're going to be in Switzerland here, unless we're in Japan. Yeah, we have to be in Japan here," Mr. Rainbolt said, correctly pinpointing the country.
Mr. Rainbolt has become the face of a fast-growing community of geography fanatics who play a game called GeoGuessr. The premise is simple: As you stare at a computer or phone, you're plopped down somewhere in the world in Google Street View and must guess, as quickly as you can, exactly where you are. You can click to travel down roads and through cities, scanning for distinguishable landmarks or language. The closer you guess, the more points you score. To some, Mr. Rainbolt's snap answers seem like wizardry. To him, they are simply the result of countless hours of practice and an insatiable thirst for geographic knowledge.
Mr. Rainbolt has become the face of a fast-growing community of geography fanatics who play a game called GeoGuessr. The premise is simple: As you stare at a computer or phone, you're plopped down somewhere in the world in Google Street View and must guess, as quickly as you can, exactly where you are. You can click to travel down roads and through cities, scanning for distinguishable landmarks or language. The closer you guess, the more points you score. To some, Mr. Rainbolt's snap answers seem like wizardry. To him, they are simply the result of countless hours of practice and an insatiable thirst for geographic knowledge.
I know another game (Score:4, Funny)
How about PaywallGuessr? You click on a link on a slashdot article and try to identify which paywall it will hit before it loads.
Re:I know another game (Score:5, Insightful)
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Because we know how to get around them.
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But we don't want to. Why the fuck would you read a news article that makes you go through extra steps to get to the content? Don't you have better things to do with your time?
It's like Slashdot pays these people called "editors" whose job it is to make sure people understand what is put in front of them. Why make excuses for them?
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It's like Slashdot pays these people called "editors"
Why do you think Slashdot pays them?
I've been playing it recently (Score:5, Insightful)
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If you see roads that are in terrible shape, it's probably in Québec, Canada.
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Whoever modded me troll, understand that I live here, so I know what I'm talking about. We keep building roads like countries with no winters, instead of investing in more expensive roads made for winter, which cost four times as much but also last four times as much. So the roads here are in constant need of repairs, along with all the blocked traffic from the constant construction.
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Also hard are places like Japan and Korea.
I've played a similar game where instead of using Street View, it's some guy walking around (in a big loop) with a GoPro or similar. The places like Japan where there can be few street signs, and few English signs make it tricky, especially when it's a packed narrow street.
Was fun though. I did get it after watching 5 minutes of it then finding a chain of bars to which I could look up location information. Had to watch a bit more to see which location it was.
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Also got a tough one in Moscow, Russia once, most of it was filmed in a subway train, with the camera angled just low enough that you cannot see the sign with the list of stops. It eventually stopped with the guy getting out at a station, and carefully tilted to avoid showing the station signs, except for one point where it was unavoidable.
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Also note the architecture...is the writing Cyrillic but the roofs are red clay tile? Probably somewhere near Croatia.
Err, Croatian is written in Latin alphabet, not Cyrillic. Perhaps you're confusing Croatia with Macedonia or Bulgaria?
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I've played it a bit too. Infrastructure-type things can be big clues. How the markings on the roads are painted. How the curbs and guardrails are constructed. How bridges are constructed. How the electric poles and and telephone lines are strung up. The lack of things can also mean a lot - US roads tend to have lots of signage and things like guardrails, mile markers, and reflectors, compared to other parts of the world where you can go for many miles without seeing anything but the road itself.
Besid
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I prefer to watch GeoWizard (Tom Davies) [newyorker.com] as he plays different GeoGuessr games.
If you haven't seen GeoGuessr, here is one of Tom's games from July 6th where he plays Interesting Photospheres in Obscure Countries #4. [youtube.com]
He does pretty well and I've enjoyed a lot of his other videos too. I've tried the training GeoGuessr games and it seems fun if you enjoy geographic puzzles.
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I some times can do with local roads show on tv (Score:3)
I some times can do with local roads show on tv / movies.
even when they add stuff with CGI.
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So we're watching some Netflix show that's supposed to be set in Wyoming, and I pipe up, "they actually filmed this in New Mexico." My wife: "how do you know?" Me: "The road sign; their state highways have those red circles. It's probably Las Vegas because there's no sage or juniper and they wouldn't CGI those mountains." And a quick google search confirmed.
Turns out there are actually whole online communities devoted to
I played this a year or two ago (Score:3)
It's a fun diversion. I can see how some people would get obsessed with it, but it's also one of those things you can just do to kill time and let your brain mostly idle.
Re: I played this a year or two ago (Score:2)
GeoDetective (Score:5, Interesting)
https://www.youtube.com/playli... [youtube.com]
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Yeah, GeoWizard may not be quite the best player in the world, but he's still pretty damn impressive and he was a pioneer in making it a spectator sport. If anyone is the face of the community it's probably him.
Very fun and addictive. (Score:3)
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Then you go by the google truck, road markings, driving side of the road, models and license plates of other cars on the road, the position of the sun in the sky, the quality of the footage... and even outside that "meta"-knowledge, it's very rare that foliage and geology doesn't narrow it down somewhat.
Or you just play on a map that somewhat reduces how many long stretches of nowhere you get ("A diverse world" is the most popular with streamers it seems).
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Had one of those with just playing with Canadian locations. Just had to be wrong with the guess in BC and the answer being in PEI.
On the other hand, the territories and prairie provinces are much more fun.
Especially getting stuff where you've seen the bear shaped plates. For me, the territories will always feel like home.
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It's amazing what you can pick up with very little movement and a bit of knowledge. Such as paint on the road being a certain colour can straight away narrow down the list of possible countries you're in. It's rare that I've guessed wrong by more than a thousand miles. And you are allowed to move in Geoguesser.
Kid loves it (Score:2)
My kid loves it. He used to let me select a random spot on Google Earth and figured out the location. Now someone made a game of it. Very well done.
Can be fun I suppose (Score:3)
This actually isn't super genius-level difficult. Without any practice other than having traveled a bit, I can tell what region of the world by looking at a photograph -- actually even a photograph taken indoors often reveals the region or at least continent -- just from the decor, the layout of things, paint. Outdoors the easy giveaways -- without even lettering .. are trees, housing style.
The guy must have traveled a lot (Score:2)
Why does Geoguessr require an account? (Score:2)
Careful who you play against (Score:2)
I was playing against the wife using the "famous location" feature in Geoguesser. When I guessed one within 1m she looked confused, "That looks like just a street, how do you know where that is"? And without giving any thought to my relationship ... "Oh that's the bridge on the south end of the Amsterdam red light district".
I've never seen someone both impressed and not impressed at the same time.