Google’s interactive world builder, Project Genie, will drop you in real places using Street View

Google just announced its world-exploring game, Project Genie, is getting a new feature that drops you in real-world locations, like your own street.

Project Genie rolled out at the beginning of this year. In essence, it builds small worlds using Nana Banana Pro models that can be explored with video-game-like controls. Google has positioned the tool as an experimental research prototype with a first or third-person point of view. Project Genie launched with the capability to generate fictional places, but the latest updates add a touch of realism.

Google’s new version of Project Genie will get access to Google Street View imagery to start creating worlds based on real places.

Google explains:

With this upgrade, you’ll be able to leverage real-world imagery to explore your favorite spots, or reimagine them with a creative twist… When creating imaginative worlds in Project Genie, you can now also base them on real places. Just tap the Maps pin to choose a place in the U.S. and optionally select a style for your world, like “Desert Sands” or “Stone Age.” Then, describe your character – like your favorite animal, comic book hero or even a claymation monster, and Genie will use this information to create an imaginative world with its starting location tied to Street View’s real-world imagery.

When you begin generating a real location, you’re given a set of environments to choose from. A character can be chosen by entering its description. It looks like locations are limited only to images available in Street View, which leaves the possibilities virtually endless.

Project Genie will still be limited to users on the AI Ultra tier. The tool takes up a lot of processing power, considering it’s developing hundreds of images referenced on each other to create a scene that can be explored at 20-24 frames per second. The clips are limited to 60-second sessions, but it’s enough time to get to see familiar places in the same or completely different states of being, using familiar WASD controls.

Google says Project Genie with Street View access will be available for users in the US, with plans to expand “over time.” The research tool won’t be entirely accurate, either. There are plans to make details sharper and more accurate.