Contained within our summary of the inaugural day of GDC 08: What makes N such a unique platformer, Defcon developer Introversion on the importance of brands, the astounding popularity of Facebook applets, bean bag chairs, metal business cards of death, and one special surprise.

Ninjas (and Circles)

There is little dispute that, in the platforming genre, Metanet Software's freeware ninja title N is a bit different. And care of co-creator Raigan Burns, we finally know why: circles.

Whereas most 2D platformers were, and still are, built around rectangular tiles, N uses a circular bounding box to define its character's interactions with the in-game world. This translates to much smoother motion, a larger emphasis on physics, and opened the door for some truly odd level designs.

Another benefit was that user-created levels could be created with much less hassle, as users did not have to abiding by strict, technical considerations.

"I think that was a huge barrier we solved accidentally," said Burns, who lamented his ability to ever create a Doom mod that would compile properly.

On top of calling for more physics and graphical experimentation in games--"More physics games and weird ones, please," he begged--Burns made note of this Wednesday's release of N+ on Xbox Live Arcade.

"Whoo, it's out Wednesday," he celebrated. "Buy it!"

Dinosaurs

Much like our initial meeting out at IndieGamesCon 07, today's chance encounter with PixelJAM artist Richard Grilloti was a serendipitous affair. And, as it turns out, the man has been quite busy.

He's currently knee-deep in polishing the hell out of Dino Run, with visions of bonus areas and mini-games dancing in his head. He was adamant that the freeware Flash dino jogger will arrive in late March, complete with multiplayer.

Speaking of dinosaurs and chance encounters, I also ran into Matthew Wegner of Flashbang Studios, the company behind Off-Road Velociraptor Safari and the upcoming Jetpack Brontosaurus. We didn't get to chat for long, but expect a more detailed interview with him in the near future.

Introversion: Build a Brand; Make the Press Smile

I'd like to say that Introversion's presentation--entitled "Spreading Your Message as an Indie Developer"--ended the same way it started, with smiles all around, but that would be a lie. They only threw foam Darwinia figures into the crowd at the beginning.

The message, as delivered by Introversion marketing head Vicky Arundel, was clear: There is no way independent developers can directly compete against the giant publishers. Instead, figure out your core strengths, build a brand around them, and run like hell.

She stressed heavy community involvement and an open relationship with the public as a means of leveraging against larger, faceless corporations, citing examples from the company's efforts with Uplink, Defcon, and Darwinia.

"Community spreads word for free," she explained. "[It's] self-propagating, like a virus, [and is] something you can definitely utilize." For example, after Introversion prompted its community to vote for Uplink in a PC Gamer UK poll, the game wound up being listed in the magazine as its readers' ninth best PC game of all time.

As for the press, she noted Introversion's attempts to "try and make their days a little more fun" through humor or nifty swag, an effort I admit is much appreciated. "It's not about trying to influence game score at the end of the day, it's trying to differentiate yourself," she said.

"At the end of the day, as an independent, you're trying to make sure you're there five years down the road," she concluded.

Me? I'm just glad the Introversion chose to hand out, not throw, their business cards at the end. These things. They'd probably make a deadly ninja star. I'm not even joking, just look at this picture.

Turn the page for more from day one of Game Developers Conference 2008, including word on the stunning popularity of Facebook applets, bean bag chairs, and the surprise appearance of something most remember fondly from childhood. _PAGE_BREAK_

Facebook

We're talking upwards of seven million page views for gaming hubs a month, tens of thousands of dollars a month for developing a little application that can be purchased and installed for something like $0.50. Yeah, I had no clue either.

Unsurprisingly, it's also a wasteland of half-assed efforts as everyone is looking to cash in. That's where the Social Gaming Network comes in.

The key word is aggregation. Bring everything together. Make a page that lists all the quality games, where users can check in and get all their game-related updates. Show them what all of their other friends are playing without trudging through individual profiles.

Calling on networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo, SGN has done just that. They've created a standardized platform for users to do all that, and it's available now on Facebook and Bebo. Some of the titles, such as Warbook, were created by SGN, but most were made by third parties.

Best of all, this is all free for anyone that's created an applet for one of the sites. All creators have to do is apply for the SGN tool set, and they'll usually hear back within a day. If accepted, they get all the above, plus the free promotion that comes from being listed on a gaming hub.

"They have to be good," explained SGN CEO Shervin Pishevar. "We don't want crappy games."

But what does SGN get out of it? For one, they become a leading game portal. Plus, all those page views bring in some rather hefty advertising revenue. And they also get the bonus of informing some unassuming game journalists of what's happening right under their noses.

Bean Bag Chairs

Sure, there are all these tables and chairs strewn about the varied locales of the Game Developers Conference, but who cares? They have bean bag chairs!

Yes, now you can discuss the future of gaming from your very own comfortable-as-all-hell bean bag chair. It's tough work running from appointment to appoinment, especially if you're health conscious and decide to take the stairs.

"Why don't you take a load off," they beckon. "Sure it's only Monday, but it's been a long week. You deserve it."

While lounging, you can also try to catch a peek of the Exhibition Hall, which is still under construction in advance of its Wednesday debut.

Plus, a Carousel!

Alright, so this carousel isn't techinally part of GDC, but it's located between Moscone West and Moscone South, so I see it all the time. Tempting me with its shininess, its simple joys, its delightful music.

It begs the question, why aren't there more merry-go-rounds in games? And furthermore, why aren't there more merry-go-rounds at industry events? I can't see anyone complaining, and if they do, they probably shouldn't be involved with video games anyways. Right?