Killzone 2 demo Feb. 26 on PSN; Sony explains Feb. 2 pre-order-only release

Not pre-ordering Killzone 2? Curious as to when you'll be granted access to the demo on PSN? Short answer: Thursday, February 26th, a day before the game's official release, Sony has confirmed through MTV Multiplayer. Of course, those who pre-order the game -- exclusively through GameStop -- will be able to download and play the demo as early as February 2nd.

As Multiplayer has posed, the practice of essentially selling a demo to those who have already committed to purchasing the game (only through a specific retailer) seems counterintuitive to the inherent purpose of a demo; namely, to convince the uncommitted to buy your game. "Offering a playable demo to motivate pre-orders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2," explained Sony's Scott Steinberg to Multiplayer. "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." Next up: LocoRoco 2 -- demo it by pre-ordering the full game at a retailer near you.