I am a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have read both of them multiple times and am currently reading The Hobbit to my 7 year old daughter… Tolkien did write it as a children’s book after all. With each book comes a nice illustration of the map of Middle Earth. You can reference it while reading to help you get a better understanding of the distances and locations of all of the landmarks the characters travel through in the books. Well, Google has taken it beyond just an illustration.
Google’s Experimentation
In this new “Chrome Experiment,” Google took the map of Middle Earth and turned it into something more. It looks like an image you would find on Google Maps that’s been taken from a satellite, or rather since this is Middle Earth we are talking about, taken from the POV of one of the Great Eagles. It’s peppered with locations featured in The Hobbit, each with its own information, stunning visuals and a little mini-game to play. What a great way to promote a film, by giving us fans a chance to explore our favorite places in a new way. Between the music, the graphics and even the fonts, the consistent brand experience endures as strong as ever, never failing to please.
If you have a little free time to waste today, you should check it out.
http://middle-earth.thehobbit.com/
Geek On!
Matt