CC image courtesy of Carlos Luna on Flickr.
Google has acquired gaming and game peripheral developer Green Throttle Games, in a move prompting speculation a games-oriented set-top box for television may be under development.
Google confirmed the acquisition to PandoDaily, although declining to reveal the purchase price or details of the deal.
PandoDaily reports two of the three Green Throttle founders – Matt Crowley and Karl Townsend – are to join the Google team under the terms of the deal.
Third founder Charles Huang retains the rights to the Green Throttle business, Google reportedly confirmed, despite the business having closed down in November, and Huang having launched a new endeavour.
Citing sources familiar with the situation, Pando said the acquisition suggests Google’s rumoured set-top box for television – which rumours suggest may be unveiled in the first half of 2014 – will have a strong games focus.
The sources said the acquisition of Green Throttle was made with a view to developing an enhanced controller for the set-top box with advanced bluetooth capabilities, with Green Throttle having created and launched an Android bluetooth games controller for the Kindle Fire HD tablet, which allowed the tablet to be used as a gaming console.
The Wall Street Journal reported in July Google was working on an Android powered set-top box which incorporates the company’s videoconferencing technology, as well as motion sensor technology.
