Google has confirmed that they have bought the assets off of Green Throttle Games, an Android microconsole company. They have yet to confirm their plans for these assets.
Green Throttle Games emerged in 2012 as another contender in the Android microconsoles business, alongside Ouya, Gamestick, M.O.J.O, and others. Green Throttle was not making a microconsole per se. Rather, they were developing technology to connect any Android smartphone or tablet via HDMI to the TV to use as a microconsole. They developed an Arena app as a games platform, as well as a controller that would make everything come together. Since the microconsole market has petered out, the company shut down their Arena app on November of last year.
Google has explored gaming on several fronts, and thus far only Android can be said to have any level of success. They offered Chrome Web Store (browser based games) and Google Plus Games (web based games), both with limited success. They also unveiled plans for ChromeOS gaming when they revealed new ChromeOS products in Google I/O 2012. As ambitious as this was, these games seem to have never even made it to market.
Speculation is that Google will use Green Throttle Games’ assets (including the tech, the two remaining cofounders and employees, etc.) to help work on a set-top box that will play games. Considering the same has been rumored of Apple TV for years, and was already rumored of Chromecast, there is serious reason to doubt this. Perhaps Google will relaunch Green Throttle, or make their own Android gaming controller?
