Binary Domain is the newest offering from SEGA – a science fiction themed third person shooter set in Tokyo, Japan. The year is 2080 and the population shares everyday life with mechanical servants. All would appear utopian, except that the robots have been administered a healthy dose of “ego and emotion”, which is where the conflict begins.

Despite being tagged as an action game, the trailer hints at issues of moral ambiguity and the ethical dilemma of artificial intelligence, making for an intriguing mix of elements. Game designer Toshihiro Nagoshi has cited the game’s Artificial Intelligence – the feature, not the characters – as a strong focus in the development of the title.

Visuals have seen vast improvements since the announcement trailer and reveal an updated cast supporting the protagonist, with characters to tick every demographic box. Action isn’t limited to just running and gunning either – gameplay footage makes a show of the protagonist jet skiing as well as diving away from collapsing environments.

Binary Domain is planned for release in early 2012 on 360 and PS3. Thus far there have been no plans announced for PC.

The Black Panel has long embodied the principles of love and fidelity. If only the same could be said for our shamefully mercenary writers, who insist on fraternising with our competitors. This column allows us to monitor and catalogue their treasonous activities.

Issue 212 of Hyper (out now) includes an article on forthcoming franchise revivals by The Black Panel’s Erin Marcon. Check it out.

Black Panel contributor Zorine Te covered the recent Sydney Gamers League event for Kotaku. Have a gander!

The Sydney Gamers League: Talkin’ Trash And Winning Flash

Last weekend saw the Sydney Gamers League (SGL) go through its fifth run since its overhaul in 2009. Self-dubbed as Australia’s “longest running” bring-your-own-PC LAN, the event was hosted at Macquarie University. With over fifty competitions offered within twenty eight hours (yes, you read that right), it was going to be one hell of a weekend.

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Previous instalments of Big Brother: 06.04.11 l 18.03.11 l 01.04.11

If you’ve grown a little tired of Team Fortress 2 and Monday Night Combat, you’ll be pleased to know that a new class-based shooter is in the pipeline. Developer Red 5 Studios has issued an action packed new PvP trailer for its forthcoming PC epic Firefall. Much like (some might say a little too much like) the aforementioned favourites, it appears to blend serious team-based tactical gunplay with playful cartoon visuals. Watching the Assault and Medic classes combine to drive deep into enemy territory will likely trigger a profound sense of déjà vu.

Frankly, the campaign mode, which features a persistent shared world full of beautiful environments, explosive set-pieces and exotic creatures, is shaping up to be a mite more interesting. Could Firefall become the first MMO shooter to find a mainstream audience in the west? If the track record of the developers is any guide, the answer may well be yes. World of WarCraft team lead Mark Kern and Tribes lead designer Scott Youngblood are among the key figures behind Red 5’s debut title.

Firefall will be entering open beta this year, with a final release date yet to be nailed down. The good news is that it will be a free-to-play experience, so you’ll at least have the opportunity to try before you don’t buy.

An artist’s impression of the SOE security breach

As it struggles to move on from a fortnight of public relations disasters, Sony has been hit with yet another body blow. Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), the division of the company responsible for MMO titles like Free Realms and DC Universe Online, has become the latest target of data thieves.

According to its press statement, hackers may have gained unlawful access to almost 25 million SOE user accounts. Though it claims that the latest intrusion was only identified yesterday, Sony has conceded that it likely took place between 16^th and 17^th April. The company also took a week to identify and announce the attack on its PSN and Qriocity services.

Information compromised includes (but is not limited to) names, addresses, genders, birth dates, and passwords. A superseded database dating back to 2007 has also been accessed, with Sony admitting that “approximately 12,700 non-U.S. credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes), and about 10,700 direct debit records of certain customers in Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Spain” may now be in criminal hands.