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Google buys an Android gaming platform, possibly with a set-top box in mind
Green Throttle Games was late to the Android gaming platform party, and paid the price for it -- the company effectively wound down at the end of 2013. However, its efforts may not have been in vain. Google has confirmed to PandoDaily that it has acquired key portions of Green Throttle's business, including its parts, labor and two co-founders. The crew in Mountain View hasn't said what it will do with its new resources, but PandoDaily sources claim that Google wants to refine the Bluetooth controller for its long-fabled (and possibly gaming-focused) TV set-top box. Whether or not that's true, the move suggests that Google's interest in games is extending beyond software.
Green Throttle officially launches its Android gaming platform, we go hands-on
Thinking of rounding out your entertainment center's arsenal with an Android-based game console? You've certainly got options: Ouya, GameStick and Project Shield are all vying for a spot on your couch. On the other hand, you might already have a perfectly serviceable Android device just waiting to be converted into a makeshift games console -- that's where Green Throttle Games comes in. By pairing a dual-stick gamepad with a console-like game launcher, Green Throttle aims to turn any Android device into a gaming platform. We spent some time with a developer build of the setup late last year, but today the company officially launched the Green Throttle Arena and its companion Atlas controller. We popped in to the firm's Santa Clara office to see what changed.
Green Throttle Games Atlas and Arena hands-on (video)
Amid Nintendo's latest piece of kit and the buzz for the next generation of home consoles, a quiet voice is whispering in the consumer's ear: Android, it says. Between dual-analog gamepads, crowd funded hardware and hardcore gaming tablets, Google's mobile OS is gaining ground among gamers. It certainly has Guitar Hero co-creator Charles Huang's attention -- he's teamed up with Matt Crowley and Karl Townsend (who both had a hand in building various Palm devices) to create Green Throttle Games, an outfit that joins the ever-growing legion of firms out to convert your Android device into a full fledged gaming console. How's it work? We dropped by their Santa Clara offices to find out. %Gallery-171176%
Green Throttle Games wants your Android device to become your next console (video)
Early next year, the traditional console giants will face a new challenger in the form of crowd-funded OUYA, and now Green Throttle Games has arrived to show you its take on the future of sofa-based gaming. Founded by familiar names such as Charles Huang of Guitar Hero fame, and Palm's Matt Crowley, the company asks why buy an expensive console when your Android phone or tablet has all the hardware you need? The idea is that not only can you play games on your touchscreen device, but when in range, hook it up to a TV, pair a couple of the Bluetooth Atlas Controllers, and have yourself a makeshift console. Green Throttle is making its own games for the platform, and already has some third-party developers on board, but wants more to bulk up its "Arena" app catalogue. From today, the free SDK is available for download, and hardware development packs -- complete with controllers -- released for purchase, although stocks of these are limited. More news on the consumer launch is expected "in the near future," but while you wait, let the founders walk you through their vision in the video above.
