Sony Explains Killzone 2 Demo Policy

The PlayStation 3 is a very troubled console, as its debut in the console war has been a rocky one to say the least. Although it is the most powerful console out there in terms of hardware, its high price and the fact that the number of quality exclusive games is slim haven't really helped it gain a lot of fans.

But things are beginning to change, as some very interesting platform exclusives have shipped or are scheduled to arrive on Sony's big black box. Such is the case with Killzone 2, a shooter that promises to bring back the same adrenaline-filled action sequences that made the first title very popular on the PlayStation 2. The game, slated to be released at the end of February, has had a demo made for it, which received a somewhat awkward release schedule.

It seems that while Europeans will get a normal demo released on the PlayStation Network, North Americans will be able to access the demo only if they pre-order the game at any of the GameStop retail stores across the country. Killzone and Sony fans didn't see such a practice with the kindest eyes, but it seems that Scott Steinberg, vice president of product marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, wanted to straighten things out with users and talked about it with MTV Multiplayer.

“Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2. We take this approach when we are convinced that the experience will cement a consumer’s interest in purchasing. Retailers will then merchandise those demos within their stores and online to maximize their visibility. Through this process, consumers are often times able to reserve their copy of the final game, which provides an incentive to purchase and helps seal the deal.”

Steinberg then said that a free demo would be released on the North American PlayStation Network with a short amount of time before the game will be released in order to make all of the fans happy. Let's just hope that the full game will bring a top-notch experience to all shooter fans and will move some consoles, in order to disprove the bad reputation the PS3 has been plagued by recently.