14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher and hardware maker Sony has announced that the BioWare made Mass Effect 2 will be offered for digital download via the PlayStation Network on the same day that the Blu-ray version is available in brick and mortar stores, on January 18.
The announcement means that for the first time a major third party made title on the Sony made home console can be obtained at the same time in digitally distributed form or on a disk, with the company probably seeing the launch of Mass Effect 2 a test run for future simultaneous releases.
Sony has made the announcement on the United States official PlayStation blog, which could mean that the simultaneous launch will only happen in one territory, but there's still time to make the same announcement for Europe.
Other games like Warhawk and SOCOM: Confrontation have had simultaneous releases on the PlayStation Network.
The PlayStation 3 version of Mass Effect 2 has more content than the package which arrived on the PC, compensating for the fact that the first game in the series has not arrived on the Sony home platform.
Gamers will be able to see an interactive comic book which allows them to shape their in-game universe by showing the most important choices made in the first game and allowing them to set their stance.
The upcoming Mass Effect 3 is set to be delivered on the PlayStation 3 later in the year at the same time as the versions for the PC and the Xbox 360.
The simultaneous launch is a big thing for the future of digital distribution and 2011 might be the year when at least one major game arrives at the same time on the Xbox 360 Marketplace as it does at retail.
The Chief Executive Officer of Electronic Arts has recently said that revenue from digital game sales will climb above retail sales in 2011.