HTC buys $40m stake in OnLive for phone and tablet gaming
updated 12:15 pm EST, Tue February 8, 2011
HTC invests 40m in OnLive remote gaming
HTC on Tuesday said it planned to buy a stake in OnLive's gaming service. The Android phone pioneer expects to get 5.33 million shares at the equivalent of $40 million. It didn't say how soon this would take place or what its ultimate aims would be other than streaming games and media.
The deal follows immediately on the heels of a similar investment in Saffron Digital and points to HTC expanding Sense to include a heavy focus on remote access. HTC's move into HSPA+ 3G and LTE 4G phones will give it Internet speeds that can support high-demand media on the road and would provide a justification for expanding Sense beyond its basic sync and location features.
HTC is expected to have a wide range of devices on show next week that could take advantage of the future Sense updates, including a Desire sequel and tablets like the Flyer.
OnLive has been taking tentative steps into expanding its cloud-based gaming beyond the computer but has so far been almost entirely iPad- and iPhone-exclusive.
