"There's no direct parallel to the Hollywood model of having the pre-release screenings, but we put out things for mock reviews to make sure [the game was] meeting internal reviews," he continued. "So we did not lead with our chin: this is the readout strategy we expected. We picked the PlayStation Magazine to have the first review and cover story, alerting the PlayStation nation of the game's quality."

"It gave [SOCOM: Confrontation and Resistance 2] time to own their own holiday window before we began our relentless lineup in 2009," he added. "After Killzone 2 We've got MLB 09: The Show and then inFamous. It's almost an embarrassment of riches and it really bombards the competition with games that show the power and advantages of the PS3."

Another benefit of delaying the game was that it gave time for a more extensive pre-release beta. Both journalists and regular gamers got a chance to get their hands on Killzone 2 early, creating many more believers in the game before it ever officially released.

"The beta and the community efforts were as important as the TV campaign," put forth Steinberg. "We pride ourselves in the community of the PlayStation nation and giving trigger-time early was a major part of that campaign. It kept the fans looking at Killzone 2, which was part of the challenge in launching a game in February. It also helped create a bridge from 2008 to the launch window."

"There wasn't a clean playing playing field, I'd like to say," he noted. "We had to compete with Halo Wars and Resident Evil 5. We knew we had to execute and deliver a great game. I think looking at the stats, I feel comfortable on our performance against Halo Wars and we ultimately delivered on our promise. We also beat those titles to market; we didn't go deep into [fiscal] Q4 which is key."

2009: Year of the PS3?
2009 looks to be a large year for both Sony and the PS3 in particular. The company is planning on releasing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, inFamous, MAG, Heavy Rain and God of War III in the next twelve months. If 2009 turns out to be the "year the PS3 broke through" then the software lineup, and particularly Killzone 2, will draw a lion's share of the credit.

"It's amazing how publisher needs have switched; every year the slate is wiped clean," mused Steinberg. "We're shipping a great lineup and it's relentless and AAA quality. Starting it with Killzone 2, we're going to arrest the momentum from competitors with titles like MLB 09: The Show, which some are calling the best sports title ever made. Then in summer there's inFamous and you'll get to see even more excellent titles at E3. If PlayStation fans thought that we'd rest on our laurels from last year and if competitors thought that we'd punched ourselves out, both are mistaken!"

"We feel that Killzone 2 is a tremendous exclusive. It's an exclamation point that demonstrates the distance between the PS3 and other systems. The game is 40 Gigs and could not be done on anything else. It will move people from the sidelines, and from what we've seen from blogs, will push 360 owners to try out the PS3. I think it's going to be a major launch for us and this historical PlayStation brand," concluded Steinberg.