Heavy Rain demo on PSN Store today

By Robert Purchese Published 11 February, 2010

Plus: Flower price pressed right down.

A demo for Heavy Rain is the biggest attraction on the PlayStation Store today. Sony's huge PS3 exclusive was reviewed earlier and now awaits only its launch on 26th February. But can it do the numbers?

New games on the PS3 Store are Frogger and Switchball. Snore. But there's a hefty price cut for Flower - down from £6.29 to £2.39 - that makes the arty game cheap bordering on unavoidable. Read our Flower review.

Echochrome follow-up echoshift is demoed on PSP, as is the new SOCOM game and zombie-raising action game Undead Knights.

PSP Minis This is Football Management and The Terminator may be worth a look. Not sure how authentic the latter is.

The PSP's Digital Comic Store grows with more Tank Girl and (Marvel) Zombies - full list below - and the SingStar area in PlayStation Home has been decked out in preparation for Valentine's Day this weekend.

PS3 New Special Offers (until 18th February)

  • Flower (was £6.29/€7.99 now £2.39/€2.99)
  • Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack Bundle (was £19.99/€24.99 now £15.99/€19.99)

PS3 Permanent Discount

  • Crash Commando (was £7.99/€9.99 now £6.29/€7.99)

PS3 Demos

  • Heavy Rain

PS3 Games

  • Frogger HD (£3.99/€4.99)
  • Switchball (£6.29/€7.99)

PS3 Game Content

  • NBA Live 10: All Star Weekend Pack (free)
  • WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2010: Stone Cold Steve Austin (£0.79/€0.99)
  • LittleBigPlanet: Valentine's Day Level Kit (£2.39/€2.99)
  • LittleBigPlanet: Chinese New Year Costumes (free)
  • Fairytale Fights: Treasure Pack 01 (free)
  • EyePet: Valentines Pack (£2.39/€2.99)
  • EyePet: Winter Sports Pack (£2.39/€2.99)
  • Rock Band: Rust In Peace album by Megadeth ("Dawn Patrol", "Five Magics", "Hangar 18", "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due", "Lucretia", "Poison Was the Cure", "Rust In Peace...Polaris", "Take No Prisoners", "Tornado of Souls" - £7.49/€10.99 (£0.99/€1.49 each)
  • Guitar Hero 5: Breaking Benjamin Track Pack ("Give Me a Sign", "Sooner or Later", "Until the End") - £4.39/€5.49 (£1.59/€1.99 each)

PS3 Themes

  • Trash Panic (animated) £1.59/€1.99
  • Valentine Fractal Theme (static) £1.19/€1.49

PSP Special Offers

  • Buzz! Brainbender (was £19.99/€29.99 now £11.99/€14.99)
  • Ape Quest (was £7.99/€9.99 now £4.79/€5.99)
  • Go! Sudoku (was £11.99/€14.99 now £6.29/€7.99)
  • Lilo and Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (PSone) (Available until the 4th of March) (was £3.99/€4.99 now £3.19/€3.99)
  • Bug's Life (PSone) (Available until the 4th of March) (was £3.99/€4.99 now £3.19/€3.99)

PSP Permanent Discounts

  • Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (was £23.99/€29.99 now £16.99/€20.99)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest (was £15.99/€19.99 now £11.99/€15.99)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End (was £23.99/€29.99 now £15.99/€19.99)

PSP Games

  • Blood Bowl (£23.99/€29.99)
  • Kurulin Fusion (£3.19/€3.99)
  • Innocent Life A Futuristic Harvest Moon (£15.99) - UK only

PSP Demos

  • SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3
  • Echoshift
  • Undead Knights

PSP Minis (also playable on PS3)

  • This is Football Management (£3.99/€4.99)
  • The Terminator (£3.99/€4.99)

PSP Game Content

  • LittleBigPlanet: Lurve Costume (free)
  • LittleBigPlanet: Lurve Level Kit (£2.39/€2.99)

PSP Digital Comics Store

  • 2000AD Prog #1666 (2000AD)
  • Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth: Chapter 2 of 6 (Insomnia)
  • Daredevil (1998) #96 & #97 ((Marvel))
  • Donald Duck and the Three Musketeers #1 (Disney)
  • Donald Duck Origami Maestro (Disney)
  • Groom Lake #3 & #4 (IDW)
  • Locke and Key: Head Games #1 (IDW)
  • (Marvel) Zombies (2005) #1-#6 (Marvel)
  • Scrooge McDuck and the Witchy Business (Disney)
  • Tank Girl: The Gifting #1 & #2 (IDW)
  • The Incredible Hulk (1999) #95-#101 (Marvel)
  • Transformers: All Hail Megatron #11 (IDW)
  • Ultraheroes #1: Gathering (Disney)
  • Uncanny X-Men (2003) #483-#485 (Marvel)
  • Wolverine (2003) #32-#37 (Marvel)
  • Wormwood: Gentlemen Corpse #11: Calamari Rising #3 (IDW)
  • X-Men (2004) #181-#186 (Marvel)
  • X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) #1-#5 (Marvel)
  • X-Mickey #6: The Carousel (Disney)
Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (38) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • siro #1 2 years ago

    Can you buy PSN software through a website? I would get Flower even though I don't own a PS3. Just in case I'll get one, you know. :)

  • andijames #2 2 years ago

    I don't think they're going to run out of copies in digital download world you're quite safe :)

  • Ninja_Tino #3 2 years ago

    I think he means in case it's only a sale and it ends up going back up in price soon. Anyway, to answer your question - dunno, but I would also like to know.

  • bad09 #4 2 years ago

    Ooh HR demo. Guess I'm staying at the girlfriends this weekend! Need to make a dent in UC2 anyway.

  • Murton #5 2 years ago

    At almost 70% off that Flower deal is looking damned good.

    Heavy Rain demo is good for those who are undecided, I'm avoiding anything that might contain spoilers though.

  • TopKatt #6 2 years ago

    I've been thinking about getting Flower for a while now, at that price it's a no-brainer, I'll be downloading it as soon as I get home tonight.

  • Artemus #7 2 years ago

    I'd forgotten about Flower and at that price i'd be stupid to resist.

  • Lee_Morris #8 2 years ago

    BUY FLOWER PEOPLE. It really is an amazing experience and at that price too, you would be crazy to pass it up as you won't have experienced like it before.

  • Skire #9 2 years ago

    I've just bought Flower.

    Already played the Heavy Rain demo though. I don't think that the demo was that good. You're pretty much left in the dark and you don't know what's going on.

    Games like this actually don't need a demo. Especially when the game is all about the immersion, story and experience.

    If the reviews weren't that good and I had to judge by playing the demo, I probably wouldn't have bought it.

  • kangarootoo #10 2 years ago

    Flower is a bargain at that price. Loved it.

    @siro

    You can't buy PS3 stuff on the web, but you can do some of the steps.

    Firstly you'll need to set up a PSN ID via the web (you might need to change the URL if you aren't in the UK).

    [link url=http://uk.playstation. com/psn/
    ]http://uk.playstation. com/psn/
    [/link]

    Once you have an ID setup you could log into any PS3 by setting up a new user and attaching your PSN login to it (maybe if a friend has one you can use for 10 mins) and make your purchase (you'll probaly want to delete the user account afterwards).

    You can leave the content undownloaded, then when you have your own PS3 you can set up a user account, associate it with your PSN login. Then a quick visit to your download history will allow you to download your Flower purchase.

    The only disadvantage to this method is that I believe the PSN Store associates your purchase with the serial number of the PS3 on which your purchased it. Its not a deal breaker, as I am pretty sure (someone could maybe clarify) that it will allow up to 5 different PS3 serial numbers to be associated with your account before it has a hissy fit. But this method will reduce that count to 4 (never been an issue for me, I'm still on the same PS3 I have always had).

  • chessboxer #11 2 years ago

    @ siro

    If you download and install Sony Media Go and have a PSN account then you should be able to make purchases on a PC (there used to be a web based store but they changed that when the store received a facelift back in 2008).

    http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/mediago

  • Fatnick #12 2 years ago

    Has anyone downloaded The Terminator yet?

    Oh, looks like it's this: http://it unes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSto...
    Edited by 1 at 11/02/10 @ 18:10

  • owl #13 2 years ago

    Skire: Games like this actually don't need a demo. Especially when the game is all about the immersion, story and experience.

    on the contrary, i think with games like this demos are most useful. with the different control scheme it uses, the demo allows you to figure out whether it will be appealing to play a whole game like that. the immersion, story etc. are the 'meat' you pay for.

    playing the demo in french (learning it at the mo), it seems. . . interesting, at the very least.

  • omraya #14 2 years ago

    wot?? can't see it on the PSstore..
    maybe because I have a US account? is this only up for euro accounts?
    can I make a euro account also somehow so I can get it?

  • ianegg #15 2 years ago

    (you'll probaly want to delete the user account afterwards).

    The only disadvantage to this method is that I believe the PSN Store associates your purchase with the serial number of the PS3 on which your purchased it. Its not a deal breaker, as I am pretty sure (someone could maybe clarify) that it will allow up to 5 different PS3 serial numbers to be associated with your account before it has a hissy fit. But this method will reduce that count to 4 (never been an issue for me, I'm still on the same PS3 I have always had).

    before you delete the user, you can "deactivate" the PS3 to get the slot back

  • dudefella #16 2 years ago

    get flower, heathens

  • jefranklin18 #17 2 years ago

    The EU blog says that it is a permanent price drop on Flower. I bought it at full price when it first came out and think it was well worth it, even at full price. I find after a day that has wound me up, firing up Flower and just sitting there and relaxing to be very theraputic. Certainly beats getting a baseball bat on GTA4 and randomly clubbing them, which was my previous de-stresser.

    Edit: my goof - the blog says until 18 February, the permanent price drop is on Crash Commando.
    Edited by 1 at 11/02/10 @ 19:38

  • Law07 #18 2 years ago

    No publicity about MEGADETH ON ROCK BAND?

    :S

  • jefranklin18 #19 2 years ago

    @Kangarootoo: yep, a PSN purchase can be downloaded to 5 different PS3s.

  • captain_Carl #20 2 years ago

    Buy Flower. I can guarantee it will be the best £2 you have ever spent

  • mukki #21 2 years ago

    and...
    first impressions on the HR demo...
    I will have to wait till Saturday to get my hands on it
    dammit!

  • siro #22 2 years ago

    Thanks for the ideas kangarootoo and Chessboxer! (+read the feckin article before posting, andijames)

    We got a PS3 in the office. I'll prolly make an account and purchase it.

    Need to get rid of my bargainia some day. Good that the missus doesn't mind games.:)

  • abot #23 2 years ago

    I don't see the demo on PSN in the US. :(

  • Steizgr8 #24 2 years ago

    Hey guys, can anyone else see the Stone Cold Steve Austin add-on on the Store anywhere? Can't find it myself :(

  • TruSmiles #25 2 years ago

    Tried the Heavy Rain demo. Wasn't even interested in the game, and now I am :( Dammit, I have limited cash! *cries*

    Already have Flower, it is brilliant though. Well worth it.

  • cherryuk #26 2 years ago

    Heavy Rain is a welcome surprise. I miss QTE's like in Shenmue, it's got some awesome visuals - but of course it's 1st party!! Really interesting game! I hope the price isn't too high!

  • kimchibaka #27 2 years ago

    I just bought Flower and have played the first two levels...an incredibly unique experience so far, and already well worth the £2.39. I hope the price drop will mean many more people are encouraged to buy it as I was.

  • Murton #28 2 years ago

    @cherryuk: Heavy Rain looks like it's gonna retail at 45 quid, a couple weeks ago the exclusive special edition was 40 quid, but now it's listed at 43. Embossed slipcase sleeve, soundtrack cd and a code for a dynamic theme and the first of the DLC episodes.

    @Abot: doesn't the US store update at a different time to the UK? I find it very hard to believe that SCEE have somehow gotten anything that SCEA hasn't got.

  • 3william56 #29 2 years ago

    Flower is brilliant at any price. At 2 quid, anyone who doesn't give it a go should be banned from the PSN and banished to XBLive forever.

  • Fightclubber #30 2 years ago

    Heavy rain lost me when i saw "hold R2 to walk" Why? why do i have to press a fuckin button when im still using the left thumb stick to change direction. The game seemed painfully dull and pretentious. But ill give it another go to see if it clicks with me a 2nd time.
    But after a 1st glance its done nothing for me

  • Darren #31 2 years ago

    I'm looking forward to the Heavy Rain demo plus it's been a long time since the PSN Store has had anything worth downloading for me so it adds to the sense of occasion!

  • DAN.E.B #32 2 years ago

    anyone who doesn't give it a go should be banned from the PSN and banished to XBLive forever.

    banished to a much better service? im in!

  • kangarootoo #33 2 years ago

    @chessboxer

    I thought Media Go only let you purchase PSP stuff. I had a look at it, but couldn't find flower (or any other PS3 stuff).


    @ianegg

    Didn't know about the "de-register" option. Nice one.

  • Demiath #34 2 years ago

    I was excited about the game but after having played the demo I'm not really interested any longer. Spectacularly wooden dialogue, atrocious voice acting as well as dull and simplistic gameplay isn't my idea of fun. So thanks but no thanks, Quantic Dream; I'll just continue to get my daily dose of narrative innovation from my second Mass Effect 2 playthrough...
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/10 @ 16:06

  • Jelly_Head #35 2 years ago

    @Fightclubber and Demiath

    I'm with you on that. The control scheme got me annoyed too, as it seems you can only walk in 4 directions, which makes your character's movement look really odd and out of keeping with the decent graphics. Also, the acting is appalling and not helped by the fact that the gameplay forces unnatural gaps between lines of dialogue.

    I've just read the Edge review which trashes any pretentions to this being anything approaching a serious film (apparently the fight and chases sequences often descend into parody).

    At the very least, I'm going to let the dust settle for a few months and then see if any of those championing this as a 9 or 10 still feel the same way.

  • sonmi451 #36 2 years ago

    Flower is ace.

    Not convinced by Heavy Rain though.... I'll give it another go maybe.

  • seanthejackal #37 2 years ago

    Loved the Heavy Rain demo, can tell already its going to be a great game.

  • Chrispynutt #38 2 years ago

    The Heavy Rain Demo killed the majority of my interest in the game. I tried it on a friend who often disagrees with me just incase it was me. He got further and seemed to be getting something out of it. However he commented after, that much like me, his interest in HR was pretty much destroyed by the controls.

    It is a shame as many demos have sold me on the game concepts, HR did the reverse. It is a shame as I really wanted to like the game.

    Flower is excellent, very intuitive controls. Well worth the money. Probably one of best PSN games out there.