'Zerg Rush' Is Google's Newest Easter Egg
It's Friday. It's spring. If you have a little time to waste, give this a try:
Go to Google. Type in the words "zerg rush" and hit Enter. Then try - just try - to click on the search results you get. When you fail, try clicking on everything that moves.
(Brief pause while you open a new browser window and give this a try. Please come back when you're done.)
Don't know what all those tumbling Os were about? The gamers on our staff (who recommend the website Know Your Meme) say you're looking at a " Starcraft" meme - homage to the computer game first released by Blizzard Entertainment in 1998 and updated since.
A friend at Google elaborated - if you want to call it that - by sending the following statement:
"For nOObs who aren't as familiar with real-time strategy games, there's been a zerg rush on your search results page. Because there should always be time to practice your gaming skills, click on the zerg units to defend the results page and try not to get pwned. Then you can share your APM score on Google+. GLHF!
"(nOObs, pwned, and GLHF are all gamer terms :))"
Try to click on the Os. You can't win - there are just too many Zergs - but that's the idea of a Zerg rush. You'll be rewarded at the end with "G.G." - shorthand for "good game."
There are other so-called Easter Eggs - hidden treats - left by the Google staff. Try searching "Tilt," " Anagram" (the page will ask, "Did you mean nag a ram"?) or "Do a Barrel Roll." It's a bit warm for " Let it Snow," but Microsoft still has its own version posted. ("Zerg rush" may not work in all browsers; we've seen this before.)
You'll notice your score against the Zergs in the upper right corner. Please let us know how you did. And apologies if your boss gets angry.