As Zynga preps to launch Dream Heights on the App Store worldwide (the social game powerhouse is currently testing the title on the Canadian App Store), indie developer NimbleBit has spoken up about the game's close resemblance to their own Tiny Tower. Nimblebit employee Ian Marsh took to Twitter yesterday, posting this infographic (posted in full below) comparing the two titles.
Tiny Tower, left. Dream Heights, right. How close is too close?
Although the two games look very different aesthetically, it's obvious that Zynga drew at least some inspiration from Nimblebit's casual hit. Gameplay in Zynga's upcoming title appears to revolve around similar mechanics of placing tower floors one at a time, restocking businesses, and ensuring residents have their ideal job. Just how close Dream Heights is to Tiny Tower will be easier to discern when Zynga's title is rolled out to the US App Store and other territories.
In the ensuing 24 hours since Nimblebit's call-out, plenty of game developers and other internet denizens have weighed in on just how egregious Zynga's crime truly is. After all, if developers hadn't improved and iterated on Wolfenstein 3D in 1992, gamers wouldn't have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 today. Perhaps what we're seeing is the emergence of a new "tower building" sub-genre. But then again, perhaps this is just another example of Zynga essentially stealing a smaller competitor's ideas wholesale. The company has been the target of several lawsuits accusing patent infringement.
In many ways, the App Store and social games in particular seem to be a Wild West when it comes to "idea theft." Although Zynga frequently has fingers pointed at it, the company has been a victim in the past, as well. In December Brazilian social game maker Vostu was forced to make a monetary payment to Zynga due to how closely its games resembled Zynga's own.
In this specific instance, it does appear that Dream Heights bears an uncomfortably close resemblance to Tiny Tower, but we'll have a full report on just how much "inspiration" Zynga took after we've had a chance to go hands-on with the title for ourselves.
Zynga has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment on this story.
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