SCEA: Killzone 2 demo exclusive to GameStop, on PSN after release

by Ross Miller { Jan 5th 2009 at 4:15PM }

Last week, GameStop revealed that gamers who pre-ordered Killzone 2 would get "exclusive" access to the game's demo. We contacted SCEA to see just how exclusive that deal is, and as it turns out, the answer is very. Our rep told us, "The demo will be available on the PSN after the game ships but only through GameStop until then." You heard the man, folks. If you're interested in checking out the game before its February 27 release and didn't get into the beta, it's gonna cost you one (1) Abraham Lincoln.

Tags: demo, gamestop, killzone, killzone-2, killzone-2-demo, scea, sony

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Residentevil72501 @ Jan 5th 2009 4:21PM

Thats one 5 dollar bill that i will gladly spend!

PersonOfSorts @ Jan 5th 2009 4:27PM

...Only to return it the next day?

Yeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

*Puts on second pair of sun glasses*

Levi @ Jan 5th 2009 4:45PM

Alien, you are such a Versper

I hate Halo and think KZ2 looks much better.

Hyams @ Jan 5th 2009 4:47PM

Halo's cool too, but I'm pretty sure that if I bought it and put it in my PS3, nothing would happen.

Besides, I actually quite enjoyed Killzone 1...

Maverick Saturn @ Jan 5th 2009 4:50PM

Halo reacon dissopointed me, I was expecting a stealth team based Halo, only to be rewarded with... another Halo ¬_¬

Bleu @ Jan 5th 2009 4:50PM

I hate gamestop I dont like fact that I have to go to them for an early play at the demo.

Moptimus Slime @ Jan 5th 2009 5:25PM

I don't necessarily HATE GameStop, I hate knowing that if I want a more obscure game (such as a JRPG or Okami, sadly) I pretty much HAVE to go there, since most retailers would rather carry the original HALO and GAME PARTY 56 for $10 than Okami or de Blob for $40.

Mr Khan @ Jan 5th 2009 5:58PM

I thought it meant a penny

:(

Bryan @ Jan 5th 2009 10:14PM

The demo is sitll comming it's comming the day the games out for everybody which is what it says in teh article above, gas is also cheap now... well it is in canada it's gone down more then 50% past while.

Hyams @ Jan 5th 2009 4:24PM

Well, that's a load of crap.

I mean, I'll be buying it first day anyway, but I'd have liked a chance to play the demo prior to that.

Bryan @ Jan 5th 2009 4:25PM

You're allowed to cancel your pre order if you want to buy it from Bestbuy.

Hyams @ Jan 5th 2009 4:31PM

I live in England. There's only two GameStops in the entirety of the United Kingdom, and I have no idea where either of them are.

Wiinterfang @ Jan 5th 2009 4:41PM

WOW.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 4:47PM

bryan- but you still spent $ 5 and made the trip to the store, which costs $ 5 in gas at least and wear and tear on the vehicle.
you dont get the $ 5 back, its only a credit for future GAMESTOP purchase...
and u have to remember about it.

THIS IS ANOTHER SONY ERROR..
fire whoever runs things and start over. its not working sony.
we get the same crap over and over.

is this going to be another gone back to cod type of game?? the campaign is said to be short, so the game will revolve around MP.

no demo = no buy.

hyams- haze was also a hyped FPS and how did that game do. ubisoft also spent a lot of money marketing haze. will sony spend that much money on killzone ads? i havent seen 1 yet and the game comes out next month.

a demo is the best advertising a game can offer, well that is if the demo is any good.

the bad haze demo showed us how bad the game was and many of us did not buy the game for good reasons.

this shows me that the demo and game may not live up to its hype.
a shooter with no co-op at all..lol.
resident evil 5 i cant wait....

Vidikron @ Jan 5th 2009 4:51PM

@sk8monroe81

A similar thing was done for L4D and the 360 and Ratchet and Clank on the PS3. Both games turned out fine.

Hyams @ Jan 5th 2009 4:52PM

HAZE's hype was no where near the level of Killzone's 2. It didn't help that the game reeked of mediocrity from the begining, and then went on to get absolutely terrible reviews.

Really, you can't fairly compare the two.

straynova @ Jan 5th 2009 4:54PM

Can't you just pre-order it online and get a download code, defeating the need to actually find a Gamestop?

PersonOfSorts @ Jan 5th 2009 4:59PM

@sk8monroe81

Is that true about the store credit thing?

I may have to hatch a new scheme, then.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jan 5th 2009 4:59PM

@Vidikron
Except with L4D, people who didn't want to preorder the game were still able to try the demo before its release.

Maverick Saturn @ Jan 5th 2009 5:02PM

sk8monroe81, are you really comparing Haze to Killzone? Am I seeing right? You do realise the devs of Killzone belong to Sony right? Free Radical does not, the problems Free Radical encountered, Guerrilla would not have, Guerrilla not only has the 1 to 1 help from Sony, the studio is sitting just down the road from Insomniac creators of Resistance which wasn't perfect but didn't flop by any means, if they need any advice they can seek it out from them, and they have a good relationship with Naughty Dog, creators of Drakes Fortunes, a game that really stood out upon release.

What has Free Radical got in comparison to that? Oh yeah, as you said, money, because money solves everything doesn't it, if that was the case, Haze would not have been enough to send Free Radical bust, in fact, Haze would not have had such a crap story plot, or gameplay experience, little or no innovation, jarring flaws all over the place etc etc etc

anthonyjh @ Jan 5th 2009 5:04PM

Wow! Lotsa naysayers here, eh? Well, for all of you who are willing to condemn the game before you even play it: how do you respond to those in the beta (and there are a shit ton of us) who absolutely loved it?

It's absolutely stunning. Best graphics seen on consoles and the most fun I've had with an FPS in years. I guess that doesn't matter to you, though. The fanboy is a tiresome creature.

Vidikron @ Jan 5th 2009 5:02PM

Yeah, that's why I said "similar". Pre-orders still got it early. It's also worth noting though the demo was pulled fairly quickly.

Anyway, I think this is a mountain out of a molehill. Other games have done this and many games don't have demos at all or until after release. It's only because it's a major Sony title that this sort of uproar is even happening.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jan 5th 2009 5:07PM

Or it could be because this is a gamestop exclusive deal. thing and you know how gamers hate the evil gamestop.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 5:07PM

vid-
how did i play the L4D demo before release on xbox live?
you are wrong... lol.
xbox has been known for getting demos much sooner than ps3 anyway, you should know that too.

hyams- you said: The game has enough hype to sell pretty well based on that alone. And it's a FPS, which is a very popular genre.
" the same was said about HAZE, thats the only reason i compared the 2. your comment was the exact same thing that was said about HAZE because it was a ps3 exclusive.

stray- i didnt know that. thats cool too. saves the gas money. lol.. just for the argument sake.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 5:10PM

the thing that i see that killzone 2 has going for it HYPE wise before release.
is the graphics.
which mean nothing.

the game is short per the developers.
no co-op.
no split screen.

what great hype do you sony fanboys see for this game that i am missing??
its another shooter.. whats new.. lol..

Hyams @ Jan 5th 2009 5:13PM

I dunno. From my memory, HAZE had limited hype for an exclusive. Even I, fanboi that I are, lost all faith in the game upon seeing a gameplay video of it.

But the main difference will be the reviews. Killzone 2 will get decent reviews (and has already got its first 5/5), whereas HAZE was critically panned by everyone but Famitsu.

Don't get me wrong: I don't expect Killzone 2 to sell amazingly, but I doubt it'll bomb. Like I said, around 500k first week worldwide souds about right to me.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 5:17PM

no map editor, no bot mode, no free play mode..

what does this game offer for $ 60.

the best graphics in a shooter to date...
blah.. not enough for me.

Vidikron @ Jan 5th 2009 5:20PM

People like shooters. I mean, damn, is this really just going to be another game bashing thread? Just play the demo after the game releases if you're that skeptical. This isn't a difficult concept.

Maverick Saturn @ Jan 5th 2009 5:25PM

You're forgetting it still has to sort out its gameplay elements first, all the other things you mentioned can be added through DLC and even easier due to the fact its coming straight from Sony.

Anyone who saw Haze except the people in denial saw that it looked naff from the beginning, I was pessimistic, however, while Killzone 2 does not have everything you mentioned, merely looking at trailers makes me feel a lot more confident about it then I did when looking at Haze trailers. Thats not the be all and end all, the truth is in the gameplay, but lets just say, so far its looking lightyears better then Haze did.

To be honest Guerilla has no real excuse as to why this game can't beat out Resistance and even aim for the likes of COD4, they have more help and advice and funding then most devs under Sony.

Haggard @ Jan 5th 2009 5:41PM

The multiplayer looks quite deep (though a bit of a Team Fortress rip-off) and the singleplayer seems to stand out with a first-person cover system and realistic, tactical combat.

I'm intrigued enough to hand over my money, at any rate.

Duke @ Jan 5th 2009 6:24PM

Well, I was looking forward to this game, but if sk8monroe81 has already trashed it without playing it then it must be total junk. Wait, what?

Thanks for saving us all from making an educated decision on the game.

Hyams @ Jan 5th 2009 6:52PM

My poor inbox. =(

Soulcrux42 @ Jan 5th 2009 8:33PM

@Straynova
Yeah that's what I did with the CoD Waw beta.
Protip: get one of those prepayed Visa/AmEx cards and empty it. Then use it on gamestop website.
They don't charge you until the game actually comes out so you'll get the demo code emailed to you right away and when release day comes 'round they'll send you an email saying your card was declined.
Ignore it and they just "erase your order" or whatever.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 9:14PM

soul- prepaid visa cards cost $ 5 to purchase and have a maintenance fee sometimes per transaction.
wouldnt we be better off going to gamestop with the original $ 5.00.... duh.
your scam is very weak and doesnt save any money...lol.

duke well considering there are some fanboys who are HYPED for this game (without making an educated guess and without playing the game), why is it so bad for somebody to not be hyped for the game...
i only explain why the demo release strategy is poor and sucks and why i wont buy the game on day 1 for $ 60.
that has nothing to do with your educated guesses.
btw do you even have an educated guess??
no of course not. its all hype.
and guess what all the downvotes on my comments are from sony ps3 fanboys who are HYPED about killzone without playing the game.

duke where did i trash the game itself?
think a bit. before you blab.
whats wrong with saying the way they are releasing this demo is poor?
whats wrong with saying im not buying the game on day 1 and listing my personal reasons why?
whats wrong with me not liking something i havent played yet? i can not like something if i havent tried it out for myself, that would just be me believing all the hype or negative information about the game.

duke why are u so hyped for the game?
do u expect everyone to love this game like you?

el serpiente @ Jan 5th 2009 9:24PM

Quit trolling sk8rh8r. You're failing miserably.

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 5th 2009 9:31PM

Umm you can get your $5.00 back if you cancel a pre-order. Don't know where that idea came from. Unless it's just something different here at my gamestop - which is certainly possible.

sk8monroe81

So what kind of 40 hour epic FPS games are you playing that no one else is aware of? Ten to twelve hours sounds just about right for a FPS game. If memory serves thats about how long Bioshock was and that didn't even include multiplayer and it won game of the year.

From what I remember reading here on Joystiq Killzone 2 will have a co-op mode and will feature Bots. Maybe that has changed as well.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/killzone-2-co-op-to-be-patched-after-launch-bots-confirmed/

It just seems like you have an axe to grind with the game. I'm pretty excited about it and will buy it on day 1. I wasn't in the Beta but my friend was and I got to play it for a few hours and it was EPIC. Let's just wait for it to release before we start judging it and calling it all hype or compare it to Haze.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 9:53PM

johnny you pretty much buy every exclusive ps3 on day 1 right??

my gamestop gives a $ 5 credit on account, i did not know i could get the $ 5 cash back. i dont go to gamestop that much anyway.
its still a hassle to do IMO.
its not hard to put on PSN before release.
it would obviously help out with sales if the demo was good.
a LBP demo before release and now would help sell the game more IMO.

johnny did you read my last comment late that night when i explained my beliefs on LBP and socom.. this is where you asked if i had played the games to get my opinion... and i never saw a reply from you it was late. that comment really explained my beliefs on those 2 games and why i dont own them yet today. you could almost take my beliefs from that comment and tie it into this 1 too.

you are the first person to say co-op will be there and bots.everyone else just wants to downvote and talk about me and my comments and etc..
it sounds like they really dont know much about the game either to be so hyped about it.
i have gotten hyped about games in the past and wasted money, i just try to not do that anymore.

serp- talking about a game i will probably buy someday is called trolling?
so if i was a day 1 purchaser i wouldnt be trolling?
your the one trolling because only a troll leaves a comment like that with no response.
thanks johnny you have really showed my that killzone 2 will have more than i thought before and not 1 of these people could tell me that.

see fanboys me doing this has given me more interest in the game from what i knew before.
this wasnt the first time i asked about co-op...

johnny i have over 40 games for ps3 and 360 if i bought them all on day 1 i would have spent $ 2400.00 already on games this gen alone.

i am more frugal and a saver type than to do that all the time.
a great new game comes out almost every month now, on each console.
resident evil 5 comes out about 15 days after killzone 2 so sometimes we have to pick which game we want for $ 60 if either.

el serpiente @ Jan 5th 2009 9:53PM

Don't waste the energy Johnny, he;s just spouting nonsense to thinly mask his irrational hatred.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 10:04PM

i would never pay $ 60 for mirrors edge.
that doesnt mean i hate the game or have something against it.

are all you gamers rich or something??

didnt we all just buy a ton of games over the past 3 months?

or do you not save enough money for the future?

so im a troll and a hater because i explain my reasons about the game not being a $ 60 purchase for me....

well at least johnny can give some real feedback and an opinion.
not just the classic joystiq.com downvote game crap... lol..

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 10:03PM

johnny the funny thing is when you pull up el serps comment list and history for today all it shows is a bunch of nonsense replies to other peoples opinions.
i havent seen 1 opinion from the serp.
you explain things.. totally opposite from the serp troll.
as a joke i have compared the serp to a bug in the past for analogy. he lives the bugs life.
he bugs people on forums about their opinions and has nothing to say for himself.
johnny you and i have had our differences..lol.. but we have always been able to have long discussions about many game subjects..
el serp is always just there like a bug.
what do u think of killzone 2 el serp?
maybe 2 much to ask.

Vidikron @ Jan 5th 2009 10:07PM

"and guess what all the downvotes on my comments are from sony ps3 fanboys who are HYPED about killzone without playing the game. "

As I pointed out elsewhere, it's all the anti-Sony fanboys that are actually responsible for most of this perceived hype. You yourself are responsible for a large chunk of the flaming happening here. Which you then twist around and claim is overblown hype.

"duke where did i trash the game itself?
think a bit. before you blab."

LOL... WHAT? You've trashed it all over the place.

"whats wrong with saying the way they are releasing this demo is poor?"

I think most people would actually agree, but you didn't actual stop there now did you?

"whats wrong with me not liking something i havent played yet?"

And what's wrong with people liking something they haven't played? It's the same damn thing. Yet you are clearly trying to make it seem like people are wrong for being "hyped" about the game.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 10:16PM

vid if my opinions about killzone 2 came off as more than that then dont take it for any more.
im not here to say whats right or wrong. whats good or bad.
just give my opinion.

didnt every1 of my posts explain why it was not for me, or IMO, i sorta said that all over the place.

i dont think i said killzone 2 sucks end of story move on!!

am i not allowed to post my negative opinions about a subject? or only positive...

and look i actually learned something new about the game which has raised my personal interest in the game.

did i once say anybody was wrong for liking the game?

Vidikron @ Jan 5th 2009 10:21PM

"am i not allowed to post my negative opinions about a subject? or only positive..."

No, but don't claim you haven't trashed the game then.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 5th 2009 10:53PM

hyams- sorry bout the inbox... lol. my bad.

vid- when did a negative opinion about something turn into trashing something??
providing explanations about the game which back up my negative view about the game are not trash talk...
trash talk is usually bs.. " like kz2 sucks" kz2 will fail"
i dont go around saying that stuff.

has this forum turned into what has sk8 gotten wrong and why sk8 is wrong??

or was it supposed to be about our views on the demo with gamestop and the game itself?
i think only a few of us have actually talked about the game from our own opinions today.
(keep in mind i havent played the game so i dont have a set in stone feeling about the game yet.)

johnny- i payed $ 40 for bioshock, $ 40 for gears 1, $ 18 for hells highway, $ 50 for cod:4, $ 50 for cod:5, $ 45 for gears2...
i look at the amount of total gameplay offered compared to the price. i just said why i wouldnt pay $ 60 on day 1 for the game. im sure there will be a retailer offering the game at $ 40 - $ 50 right after release and I may buy it then. 33% savings on anything in life is always a great deal. and if I can afford the full price it never hurts to put that 33% saved into the bank for the future.
or just towards the next game im going to buy a week later as there are too many good games IMO.

i dont really pay $ 60 for many games anymore as the retailers fight each other and match prices. i may have left that out too.

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 5th 2009 11:22PM

sk8monroe81

You know what's funny is that Resident Evil 5 demo made me less excited about it than before. Hard to explain but it felt exactly the same as Resident Evil 4 with upgraded graphics. I did like the co-op element they added in but it wasn't enough for me and while RE 4 re-invented the genre RE 5 felt dated to me. I don't like the way the melee feels (no melee really) and I also didn't like that the shooting mechanic hasn't changed since 4. It just felt really slow and I didn't like having to hold the aim button before shooting. They should have added some kind of a blind/quick fire mechanic. It just didn't feel like survival horror to me and it also didn't feel like a fleshed out 3rd person shooter. Not using this thread to rail on RE 5 as I will probably buy it at some point and Capcom is my favorite developer but the demo just left something to be desired to me.

I'm more interested in the Steampunk inspired shooter Damnation which I think is also being published by Capcom. It looks to be adding some new gameplay elements with it's focus on more vertical inspired levels.

Like I said earlier it's possible that the co-op and bots were scrapped but I thought I had remembered seeing something about here on Joystiq. A game you should absolutely pick up is Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. You can probably get it for next to nothing online and it is a top notch underrated game.

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 6th 2009 12:07AM

sk8monroe81

As far as the whole money, game and me buying all the PS3 exclusives go ...

I wouldn't classify myself as rich at all more like middle class American. This is why I don't just go around spending my money all willy nilly like it's burning a hole in my pocket. It's another reason that I sold my 360 - I had lots of issues with the hardware, didn't really care to pay for Live every year when I could just get an extra Wii or PS3 game, no exclusives I couldn't live without and with the re-sale value already being reduced it was time to sell. The biggest thing that made me decide to get rid of it was 1. I can still play the 360 at my brothers and 2. Gears Of War 2 was a big letdown for me.

I don't buy every PS3 exclusive but I do buy all the big ones that appeal to me as I do with the Wii and did with the 360.

Sure, I could afford to pretty much buy any game I want at anytime but the reason i don't is because I will keep my money by not spending it. Counting all my current games on all platforms (including handhelds) is around 60. That sounds like allot but includes allot of games that were purchased at highly reduced rates or at sales. The way I see it is I get more time out of a $60 game than I do out of buying CD's and movies. We don't go out, drink, do drugs, eat out, buy expensive clothes, have debt or anything else. I have many more games if you count all the PSN games I have bought which is easily 20 or so and I feel provide the best value this generation for gaming. I can pay $5.00 or $10.00 and get damn near 100 hours of pure gameplay.

Other than bills and food gaming is one of the only things I spend money on. That's why when we had that conversation about Live and you berated me for complaining about the annual fee I said it was more about principal. After already paying for internet, the console, the games and routers it just seems like overkill to pay for the right to play the games online. This is barring the pro-rated cost's of Live and the value structure but more about the principal. I would rather play online for free on the PS3 & Wii. For me it's just about playing the game.

sk8monroe81 @ Jan 6th 2009 1:01AM

johnny 1 thing dont think i was trying to tie the rich comment to you personally. i didnt mean that at all.
i was talking to everyone in general.
and going a lil extreme too but i was just pointing out the amount of games i buy and play and try to save money.

that was just a general statement to gamers paying $ 60 for so many games, such as mirrors edge, or 5 games in october ,etc..

i respect you and your family if what you have said in the past is true in prior comments. we have gone at it before, i was not going there with you.

i said in pretty much every comment about kz2 that these are my reasons why i am not going to buy the game for $ 60.00. whats wrong with that? why do so many people try to prove my opinion wrong? i havent bought LFD, wont pay $ 60 for re5 either...
when i hear day 1 purchase that usually means $ 60 to me.
i wait for the first sunday sales ads from the major retailers online and in the papers to see the best price if I want to play the game that soon.
its just funny the amount of comments against my opinion. i understand and welcome yours because you explain yourself, give your opinion, and provide the answer to some of the things I may have gotten wrong if the case.

and we all know the amount of gaming most of us do makes the purchase a pretty good spend in the long run entertainment wise anyway. compared to the 2 hour movie at $ 12.00 etc...

Little Big PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Jan 6th 2009 3:15AM

sk8monroe81

It's like the two kids in school that don't like each other but become friends AFTER they have a fist fight.

It just seems most people on this site want to see the PS3 fail for some reason.

Nintendo proved you don't need allot of compelling software to be successful. You just need your known franchises that are well made. MS proved that a price cut can rapidly accelerate console sales. Sony is in position to have some of it's top tier & most wanted exclusives in 2009 as well as room for a price cut. It's no longer about just buying a PS3 for one game that you like. There is a huge backlog for new PS3 owners and the best list of exclusives for 2009. Here are just some of the better exclusives that have been already and not yet released.

MGS 4
Uncharted 1 & 2
Resistance 1 & 2
God Of War 3
Gran Turismo Prologue & GT 5
Killzone 2
Ratchet And Clank Future Tools Of Destruction
Ratchet And Clank Quest For Booty
New Untitled Ratchet And Clank
Socom Confrontation
Motorstorm 1 & 2
Little Big Planet
Heavenly Sword
Bioshock
Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds
Massive Action Game (from original SOCOM developer)
White Knight Chronicles
Team Ico
Warhawk
Siren
Valkyria Chronicles
Yakuza 3
Quantum Theory
Demons Souls
Heavy Rain
DC Universe Online
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Wipeout HD
Super Stardust HD
Everyday Shooter
Flow
Fat Princess
Kung Fu Dolls
Pixel Junk Eden
Pixel Junk Monsters
Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection
Echnochrome
Pixel Junk Eden
Crash Commando
Disgaea 3
Folklore
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
Pain
Loco Rocco
Luminies Supernova
Blast Factor
Singstar Games
Buzz Quiz
Eye Of Judgement
High Velocity Bowling
Soldner-X
Punisher War Zone PSN

That's not counting all exclusives or any multiplatform titles.