Many folks use their mobile phone as their go-to gaming device, relying on it for entertainment on the go rather than buying a separate, dedicated portable gaming device. A new company called Green Throttle Games has recognized this and has come up with a way for mobile gamers to continue to enjoy their favorite titles at home on a bigger display. Founded by Guitar Hero creator Charles Huang, Green Throttle Games aims to give users a way to buy games on their Android device that can be played while out and about, and then hook that handset up to their TV and play those same games with an actual Bluetooth controller.

Green Throttle plans to create some of its own games that will be available in the Green Throttle Arena, and the company says that it's also working with other groups on creating titles for the service. Anyone that may be interested in joining the efforts and developing a title for the Green Throttle Arena can download a free software development kit. There's also a limited quantity of hardware development packs available for purchase that include a controller. 

Smartphones and tablets are becoming increasingly powerful, offering speedier processors and more storage space to allow for the creation of games that offer high-quality graphics. Green Throttle's aim is to give consumers one portable console that they can play games on while outside of their home but also enjoy with a real controller while at home, allowing them to just rely on a smartphone or tablet for gaming rather than having to supplement that device with a portable or home console. Information on consumer availability and pricing is expected to be announced soon, but until then you can find a video introduction to Green Throttle below. Does this sound like it'd be up the alley of any of you gamers out there?

Mobile Gaming is Reimagined on The Television with Green Throttle Games. New True Analog Controller and Games From Guitar Hero Creator and Mobile Industry Veterans

Developer portal now open, with access to SDK and developer hardware kits

Santa Clara, CA – November 6, 2012 – Green Throttle Games™ announced its new gaming solution that transforms Android phones and tablets into consoles.  Green Throttle’s software developer kit (SDK) enables multiplayer gaming on big screen televisions using the first true analog wireless gaming controller. Green Throttle Games is founded by Charles Huang, co-creator of the legendary Guitar Hero video game franchise, and mobile industry veterans Matt Crowley, former Palm and Nokia product lead, and Karl Townsend, lead electrical engineer for the first two generations of the Palm Pilot. Green Throttle launched the company’s developer portal today and early access to controllers so mobile and console game makers can begin making TV games in the post-console world.  

“Mobile gaming is exploding, and new smart devices are becoming powerful alternatives to traditional consoles. We just need a simple and fun way for people to play games both on the go, and on the couch,” said Charles Huang, co-founder of Green Throttle Games. “Our mission is to create great game experiences that bring people together, a big screen experience where you can just start playing games on a television, as simple as that.”

The Green Throttle Arena app will provide a central hub to find and highlight games developed by Green Throttle and other independent developers and publishers. Green Throttle is already working with emerging and veteran development studios including nWay, Free Range Games, Mercenary and Monstrous.

“Our team here at nWay has worked with a wide-range of different consoles and platforms,” said Taehoon Kim, co-founder and CEO at nWay. “Getting the Green Throttle controller up and running in just a matter of a day with our latest action RPG title ChronoBlade was amazingly easy given the simple tools provided in the SDK. Better yet, the ability to add true analog controllers allows the precision that touch screen controls just can’t deliver for the sophisticated control of our characters. Adding controllers to the mobile version of ChronoBlade allows users to experience the game the way it was meant to be played; bringing a true console-like proposition.”

“New mobile phones and tablets are constantly releasing, and each device is morepowerful than the last,” said Chris Scholz, CEO of Free Range Games. “Green Throttle’s vision of bringing mobile games to the family room, addingmultiplayer and reimagining games to have a cross mobile and a big screen experience is critical to the evolution of where games are going.  We are excited to have a software kit straight-forward enough to quickly get a multiplayer split-screen snowboarding game running on a 60” TV using the phone I carry in my pocket.”

The controller features full analog control sticks so that players have the precise control and fluid motion they need for fast action games. Green Throttle works with Android phones and tablets that include a video-out port. Green Throttle’s Software Development Kit (SDK) is available for free download today at http://go.greenthrottle.com/developers/. The SDK will make it easy to create new mobile focused games and easily bring existing mobile games to the Green Throttle platform. A limited number of hardware development packs are also available for purchase at www.greenthrottlestore.com for game creators.

Green Throttle Games was founded by three men experienced in creating industry-changing innovations in mobile devices, video games and game peripherals. CEO Charles Huang popularized the rhythm game revolution by creating a wireless guitar controller that made it possible for people to unleash their inner rockstar with their friends playing “Guitar Hero.” President and COO Matt Crowley helped to bring the Palm Pre to life, along with leading innovative teams at Nokia. CTO Karl Townsend was one of the original creators of the Handspring and Palm Treo smartphones, some of the first devices to bring mobile email to a mass market. Together, these three founders bring experience in gaming, hardware and software to create a winning combination for Green Throttle Games.

The Green Throttle SDK and development kit are available today at http://go.greenthrottle.com/developers/. Consumer availability, pricing and launch game titles will be announced in the near future.

About Green Throttle Games

Green Throttle Games, Inc. is a Santa Clara, CA based company that develops high-quality, innovative games and hardware for mobile devices.  The company's founders Charles Huang, Matt Crowley and Karl Townsend, visionaries from the video game and mobile industries teamed up to unlock the potential of mobile on the big screen, connecting people and platforms in a way that is simple and fun.  More information about Green Throttle Games is available on the company’s website at www.greenthrottle.com.