GDC: 'Phaedrus' Returns From Beyond To Give GDC Lecture?

If you've been paying attention to the official GDC Twitter feed over the past few days, you will have noticed a couple of intriguing, if out of place messages.

The first one, posted on Wednesday, simply said: 'Non semper ea sunt quae videntur'. Those looking around on the Internet will have noticed a WikiQuote page sourcing the quote to 'Phaedrus'. Apparently, he was "a Roman fabulist, by birth a Macedonian and lived in the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius and Claudius."

The English translation of that Latin quote is 'Things are not always what they seem', and if you've been following other Twitter discussion of Game Developers Conference, you'll know that writer/designer Ian Bogost recently Tweeted: "Does anyone know, what is this GDC talk with no description: "Metaphysics of Games" by "Phaedrus"? Lurid."

And indeed, a new Official GDC Tweet directs interested parties to a previously programmed talk scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday at 3pm, in Room 134 of North Hall at the Moscone - the last talk slot of the entire event. It's called 'Metaphysics of Game Design', it's by 'Phaedrus', and that's all the info we've got.

There's some other Twitter rumblings about whether the Roman fabulist is back from 2000 years of exile. Or whether it might be something or someone else entirely. Guess there's only one way to find out... 

[UPDATE: In addition, 'Phaedrus' references the Socratic dialogue of the same name, since it deals with rhetoric and suchlike. Which game creators do we know who like talking rhetorically? Guess we'll discover the answer in due course...]