IGN's New Design: Mild paranoia or just coincidence?

I watched a bit of the Livestream yesterday, (extenuating circumstances kept me from the full thing). One of the things I managed to see were the plans for the new site design. Which I kind of liked. So you can imagine my surprise when I clicked over to IGN this morning, intent on checking out the Borderlands 2 review, and I saw this:

I don't have a shot of the new site design for Giantbomb's reviews, sadly, so I can't put one up as a point of comparison. But for those who saw the design, does this not strike you as quite similar? Or am I just being paranoid?

Paranoid of what. Of what. Web designers and aesthetics?

Giant Bomb's site development doesn't exist in a bubble, and Dave and Alexis aren't the only web designers that follow a particular school of thought. Website designs go through trends, just like many other things.

Now, if the site design goes live and IGN were to pull a gamebomb.ru by wholesale copying website source code, then there would be an issue.

You will rarely find as much reptition as you do with web design. It's OK though. They're just finding similar solutions for the same problems. That's what design is. Problem solving.

This is a modern trend in web design. Everyone is doing this.

Edit: In other words, don't worry

@Brodehouse said:

Paranoid of what. Of what. Web designers and aesthetics?

No, of giant silicone based killer space worms.

There are only so many design formats. The new GB one looks good but nothing especially original - unless you think the IGN designers watched the live show and whipped up a copycat design in less than 48 hours?

@FengShuiGod said:

No, of giant silicone based killer space worms.

They're everywhere. WHY WON'T ANYONE BELIEVE ME.

@Brodehouse said:

Paranoid of what. Of what. Web designers and aesthetics?

Nah, seeing potential conspiracy patterns in such a simple thing as similar web design. Paranoid of that. So... yeah. In a way: Web designers and aesthetics.

I'm just glad that the majority of the world managed to claw their way out of the Geocities hivemind of the '90s and regained their ability to think for themselves, free of the hypnotic effects of animated fire gifs and midi background music.

I'm just glad that the majority of the world managed to claw their way out of the Geocities hivemind of the '90s and regained their ability to think for themselves, free of the hypnotic effects of animated fire gifs and midi background music.

I haven't sat down to watch the BLLSL archive yet. However, does anyone have a timestamp on any archive footage of when that design stuff would show up? I'm curious what the site is changing to.

Honestly, it looks more like Polygon than the new Giant Bomb.

@Little_Socrates said:

Honestly, it looks more like Polygon than the new Giant Bomb.

@Flabbergastrate said:

@Little_Socrates said:

Honestly, it looks more like Polygon than the new Giant Bomb.

Have to say the same, all three of the designs are very similar, but I don't think they're 'copying' or anything. It's not their fault the design looks pretty good.

It's a trend. It's to our benefit, however, that the new GB design doesn't have as much wasted space as the new IGN look does. It feels like I'm browsing on a mobile site that's super-zoomed in. :|

@Petiew: Wow. Man, it's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I saw that or I'd need a new keyboard. That gave me a good laugh, sir!

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

@Hailinel: Obviously if you dont use that as your new profile picture that would make you an evil person!

I am on it!

I found it more "interesting" that IGN added a wiki, a year or two ago.