We all know that sinking feeling. But, for some, the little dinosaur that appears on screen any time this happens on Google makes the experience a little better.
This Google dinosaur has been a reassuring friend in tough times, those nights when the damn internet just won't connect. One can play the dinosaur game to distract themselves from the soul-crushing FOMO that keeps them glued to that laptop screen all day an night. The little digital dino jumps and crosses obstacles, just to keep us from getting bored.
So, when our dinosaur friend turned ten-years-old this week, Google decided to have some fun!
The Page 404: Not found, has a new easter egg - and it is a tiny hat for the dinosaur.
Here comes a new Easter egg in @googlechrome for 10th birthday of Google's browser: a birthday cake & party hat in 404 page-not-found error message dinosaur game. On display in Chrome in September. Try it out by switching off your network and trying to load a site. pic.twitter.com/fgTgshVspd
— Stephen Shankland (@stshank) September 4, 2018
This feature is only available till the end of September, but Twitter is loving it.
Oh my god you know the no internet chrome dinosaur game????? I guess for Google's 10 year anniversary you can pick up a birthday cake in game and then the dino runs with a little party hat on its head..... It's so cute....
— Kata @ loving myself (@Katamism) September 4, 2018
google chrome dinosaur game
google chrome dinosaur game
google chrome dinosaur game
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google chrome dinosaur game https://t.co/auZtSEdtrs
— Oliver (@olivalternative) September 4, 2018
It also prompted people to start beating a certain user's high score.
Nothing says “Happy 10th birthday @GoogleChrome!” like a little friendly competition...
Hey @rahulrc, @lockheimer, @darinwf, can you beat my score in 10 tries or less? No cheating! #GoogleChrome pic.twitter.com/bniikLzznV
— Parisa Tabriz (@laparisa) September 4, 2018
Do you think you can beat @laparisa? Turn off your WiFi, open a new tab, press spacebar to start, then spacebar to jump. Share your score with #GoogleChrome https://t.co/YdhTJ4jp8Q
— Google Chrome (@googlechrome) September 4, 2018
Couldn't beat her, but certainly achieved a personal best! Chrome://Dino had no birthday hat though pic.twitter.com/qBBU5dKoAN
— Steve Bishenden (@steve_bishy) September 5, 2018
And also told us of something which may be news to us all.
Today (years later) I learned that network admins can actually ban their users from playing the Google Chrome dinosaur egg game.
What kind of a monster admin would do that?
(hat tip to @teroalhonen) pic.twitter.com/MB1Xwjq7xX
— Mikko Hypponen (@mikko) September 1, 2018
Monster, indeed.