The Green Throttle gaming system is another in the growing array of Android-based gaming consoles. Much like the Ouya, the system relies on that great iOS competitor to function. But quite unlike the Ouya, the Green Throttle isn't so much a console as it is a system. Like I said, chances are you've already got what you need to own one of these right in your very own home. Green Throttle, you see, is basically just a controller and an interface; to use it, you'll need not only the Green Throttle Atlas controller, but also a Kindle Fire HD tablet to sync said controller to. Once that's done, then all that's left is to download the appropriate software from Google Play, and then it's game on. As things move along, according to reports, the controllers will be able to sync with more Android tablets, but for right now, it's just the Kindle Fire HD.
The controller can be purchased on Amazon, as well as on Green Throttle's own site, for $39.95 for a single controller, or $89.95 for the two player bundle, which includes two controllers, an AC adapter and a microHDMI to HDMI cable, allowing users to easily put their gaming up on a bigger screen from the tablet.
Naturally, the limitations of such a system stand out like an ambulance siren in the dead of night. It works with one tablet. Games are minimal in number and less than polished in nature by the early reports and the looks of screenshots. But by like token, the potential inherent in that same system stands out just as well. Now, it's possible to use a tablet like a gaming system, and when the games are done, take that tablet and use it just like a tablet. It's a wildly increased level of overall utility. Better yet, should time go along and a user find that there just aren't that many games for the system that they're interested in, the loss becomes minimal. They're out the $39.95 for the controller rather than the $300 or more that a system would have cost.
There's an advantage, especially in a soft economy--especially when bringing in a new product with a comparatively untested value proposition--to offering said product at minimal expense to get users interested. After all, for those who already have a Kindle Fire, the added expense here is minimal. Getting in on this particular ground floor is as easy as turning a knob.
But with a lot of competition in the field--the Ouya, the GameStick, Project Shield and more likely to follow--Green Throttle will have its work cut out for it to distinguish itself in a growing field of competitors. Still, it's got an interesting gimmick and minimal impact on the wallet working in its favor, but only time will tell if that's truly enough.
