Google acquires Android game controller company

Google has acquired parts of an American maker of Android game controllers. The acquisition would be part of Google’s plans for a TV set-top box, which should be released this year.

The company Green Throttle Games had been in existence since 2012, but at the end of 2013, its operations ceased. The company’s Atlas controller is still available, but the companion app has been discontinued since November last year. Behind the company are people who in the past have worked on, among other things, the game Guitar Hero and the PDA Palm Pilot.

Google confirms the takeover to PandoDaily, but did not announce it a few months ago when the takeover took place, perhaps not to further feed the rumours. Two of the three founders of Green Throttle now work at Google. With the acquisition, Google would like to gain knowledge about bluetooth controllers, which the company wants to use for TV set-top boxes it would be working on. Last year there were rumors that Google wants to release a Nexus set-top box in the first half of 2014, and gaming would play a major role in this. Google may be waiting for competition from Apple and Amazon in this area: those tech giants would also be working on set-top boxes.