Gamers shine light on Perfect Dark Zero?

What happens when you kindly ask guests not to leak top secret information about one of the most anticipated pieces of gaming hardware? Well, it gets leaked.

In an Xbox Live interview with Gamertagradio.com, members of all-girl gaming clan (and Xbox Live marketing tool) PMS, an acronym for "Psychotic Man Slayez," spoke about their experiences at the taping of the Xbox 360 unveiling in Los Angeles last Thursday. Aside from dancing around some of the basic specs of the system and gloriously touting the next-gen console's features, the ladies got around to talking about the only playable game on display, Rare's Perfect Dark Zero.

Perfect Dark Zero has been a sort of Sasquatch in the gaming industry. It's been widely reported that it exists, in some form or another, but Rare has never come clean about the game. Back in 2001, a company rep hurriedly stated that the game was "out there," but four years later, no official information has yet emerged.

When Microsoft bought Rare in 2002, many thought a Perfect Dark sequel would land on the Xbox. But, if what the PMS members say is true (which Microsoft and Rare won't confirm), Perfect Dark Zero is in its alpha stage and will be shining on the next-generation Xbox.

According to the attendees of the unveiling, Perfect Dark Zero is shaping up to be a "must-own" first-person shooter for the forthcoming console. Comparisons to popular PC and Xbox title Counter-Strike were made, both in terms of gameplay and graphics, with the addition of "Splinter Cell-type functions," implying that spy gadgetry will play a large part in the game.

Among the "like, over 22" weapons discussed were the standard grenade launchers et al, a gun that makes players invisible, and "any kind of thing that your trigger finger would feel comfortable shooting." One gamer goes on to detail what reps were calling "jetpacks," but they sound more like personal flying vehicles.

Respawn points will be selectable, implying that gamers who die in combat won't be stranded on the other end of the map in team-based games, as is the case in such games as Halo 2. Instead, players will be able to choose from a selection of points, letting players jump right back into the fray instead of hoofing it across the map.

The most interesting detail of Perfect Dark Zero dealt with the integration of the rumored EyeToy-like camera into the game. According to the gamers, one participant had her entire body scanned by a camera-like peripheral, and the image was used as the player's in-game avatar in the multiplayer mode.

Whether these reports are actually true won't be known until more information on the game is released. Don't look forward to seeing the game in action this Thursday on MTV, though, because according to a PMS gamer, Perfect Dark Zero won't be shown on the program.

The original Perfect Dark was a first-person shooter on the Nintendo 64 that received excellent reviews from both critics and gamers alike. The game starred superspy Joanna Dark on a near-future Earth rife with alien contact and corporate conspiracies.