Zynga ripping off Tiny Tower [iOS]

[Wraith]

NimbleBit's response to Zynga ripping off their game: http://s3.amazonaws.com/nbpromo/dearzynga.jpg

http://i.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/tiny-tower-dev-wishes-zynga-luck-on-clone/

It's like they don't even care how blatantly they copy another dev's game.

I've been playing Tiny Tower fairly regularly for several months now. It's kept me coming back, even if it's relatively small in scope. It's a perfect game to play in 1 to 5 minute bursts, and check in on throughout the day. Currently at 73 floors.

[Ink Asylum]

Zynga ripping someone off? A good candidate for "Least Surprising News Ever".

[Wraith]

Well it is when it was Apple's iOS Game of the Year. Though it's from a tiny studio, it's a pretty "big" game to rip off wholesale.

[Stmfuller]

Zynga ripping someone off? A good candidate for "Least Surprising News Ever".

I had a Reddit moment.
Was waiting for that screenshot of Willy wonka with caption very similar to your post"

That being said.
Zynga usually only rips of PC games...
or am I thinking about another company?

Also, I got a new work computer today. #FWS (first world solutions!)

[Trogdor]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5434011/creepywonka.jpg

amidoinitrite?

[Stmfuller]

close enough for government work.

[LongStepMantis]

I'm a little shocked how many of the games on Facebook and similar apps are carbon copies of other existing titles. Anyone try Hotshot? Yeah, it's Peggle. It's so close a copy it's kind of embarrassing. I've seen a ton of "me too" titles over the years, but at least they made some effort to mask their intellectual thievery.

[Hawkzombie]

Here's the thing: You can't copyright game mechanics. If you make a game identical to another, but don't steal any of the assets (The graphics, sound, text, etc) and name it something else...there is really nothing anyone can do. You can try and send them a cease and desist letter, but if it's not stealing any sort of actual work outright, and just the rules and how your game plays...you're shit out of luck.

So Unfortunately Zynga will keep stealing games, and keep getting away with it. =\

[Chaos Machine]

Here's the thing: You can't copyright game mechanics. If you make a game identical to another, but don't steal any of the assets (The graphics, sound, text, etc) and name it something else...there is really nothing anyone can do. You can try and send them a cease and desist letter, but if it's not stealing any sort of actual work outright, and just the rules and how your game plays...you're shit out of luck.

So Unfortunately Zynga will keep stealing games, and keep getting away with it. =\

It is to their company's benefit though to make a public stink about it, as it brings attention to the original game and paints zynga in a negative light. So even though they cant do anything, its worth it for them to make an issue over it.

[muddi900]

I mean how many breakout/araknoid clones have we played?

[Hawkzombie]

It is to their company's benefit though to make a public stink about it, as it brings attention to the original game and paints zynga in a negative light. So even though they cant do anything, its worth it for them to make an issue over it.

Oh, that I totally agree with. I was in no means implying 'well, they better just shut up, bend over, think of Christmas and just take it'

It's just sad that noting else can really be done.

[Handmade.Mercury]

I'm still pissed off about how popular Angry Birds got when it's just a shinier version of Crush the Castle.

[J Arcane]

Yeah, but Armor Games got paid out in the end, because Siege Hero is better than either of them and that sold boatloads, if not as much as Angry Birds maybe.

[muddi900]

Saw this on reddit:
http://imgur.com/a/ng1x8#0

[Hawkzombie]

Limbo of the Lost shouldn't count. Everyone knows it actually stole game and movie assests; not just copied them.

God that game was terrible.

[muddi900]

Zynga offers a rebuttal. Nimble Bits Back!
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/01/zynga-responds-to-copycat-claims-nimblebit-rebuts/

[kyrieee]

It's a douchy thing to do but they need to have the right to do it anyway. Patenting game mechanics or designs would be terrible.

[MagGnome]

Here's the thing: You can't copyright game mechanics. If you make a game identical to another, but don't steal any of the assets (The graphics, sound, text, etc) and name it something else...there is really nothing anyone can do. You can try and send them a cease and desist letter, but if it's not stealing any sort of actual work outright, and just the rules and how your game plays...you're shit out of luck.

So Unfortunately Zynga will keep stealing games, and keep getting away with it. =\

Apparently you can get away with copying quite a bit, or Blizzard would have been sued into oblivion by now.

Also, all of the big publishers with their endless me-too shooters.

[Stmfuller]

You'd think (in this case) it would have been easier to just buy the company and all their IP than to create a copy of it like they did.

[BigJonno]

It's a douchy thing to do but they need to have the right to do it anyway. Patenting game mechanics or designs would be terrible.

Did you know that Wizards of the Coast actually have a patent on collectible card games?