Web technology and the right browser engine bring the land of dwarves and hobbits to life in the latest Chrome Experiment
If you’re a fan of Middle Earth, web technologies, or mobile in general you have to check the latest Chrome Experiment out. It’s an interactive map of Middle Earth — a place well-known to readers and viewers of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings — built with just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It’s magnificent. It’s also just the beginning.
Tapping and selecting a location from the map brings up another layer, with parallax scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and great performance on the desktop, mobile and ChromeOS. Again, this is all built with standard web technologies.
Finally, each location offers a sort of mini-game, where user input and swiping (or mouse and keyboard action if you’re not on a phone or tablet) allow you to outwit trolls, spring forth greenery at Rivendell, or run away from spirits at Dol Guldar.
This is a serious time-waster, but it also shows what can be done with the right tools and the right browser engine. When you have half an hour or more, you need to check this out from your Android device or any computer with Chrome, Opera or Firefox. Jump past the break for a short trailer.
Journey through Middle Earth Chrome Experiment
Source: Google Developers Blog
