Friday, January 27, 2012

Glu Mobile releases Small Street for iPhone, consider Tiny Tower flattered

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The ([Tiny Tower][2]) Clone Wars have begun. [Glu Mobile][3], best known for iPhone hits like Gun Bros., has unleashed [Small Street][4] onto the Canadian App Store for iPhone and iPad through its Glu Games label. And whaddya know, this free-to-play mobile looks a helluva lot like [NimbleBit][5]'s Tiny Tower ... but sideways. It may sound like a stretch, but not [according to TouchArcade][6].

Small Street, which is in the middle of testing on the Canadian App Store, employs the same concept found in Tiny Tower. Players build up a street with residences, businesses and citizens to inhabit them. Players then stock and sell goods through the buildings to raise enough cash for even more buildings to line the street. [Screen shots of the street simulator][6] display management windows that do look quite similar to NimbleBit's Tiny Tower.

However, you can see where this sort of "cloning" can easily become a slippery slope situation. While the similarities between both the play hooks and the design/art of Zynga's recently Canadian-tested [Dream Heights][7] and Tiny Tower [are unmistakable][8], Small Street is more similar in its play mechanics than anything. Regardless, it's clear that (all three of) Tiny Tower could easily become the next "Ville" of mobile gaming. But whose fault is that, and is it a good or bad thing?

[Canadians: Click here to download Small Street for iPhone Now >][4]

**Have you tried Small Street for yourself yet? What do you think of this potential trend in mobile gaming? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][9]**

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/01/mzl.vwyumfez.320x480-75.jpg
[2]: http://blog.games.com/tag/tiny+tower
[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/glu+mobile
[4]: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/small-street/id469231744?mt=8
[5]: http://blog.games.com/tag/nimblebit/
[6]: http://toucharcade.com/2012/01/27/glu-is-the-latest-company-to-rip-off-tiny-tower/
[7]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/24/dream-heights-dream-pethouse-iphone-ipad/
[8]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/24/zyngas-dream-heights-iphone-preview/
[9]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/27/small-street-iphone-tiny-tower-glu-mobile/#disqus_thread
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