SCEA president Jack Tretton believes Heavy Rain will sell very well indeed. He also believes that Heavy Rain is completely new and unique, so maybe his opinions shouldn’t be taken completely to heart.
“I spent 25 years in this industry, and it’s rare you see a game that sells incredibly well and that impresses you,” claims the Sony Lord. “But when you go, ‘Wow! That’s the type of game I’ve never seen before!’ And I think Heavy Rain falls into that category. I don’t even now how to classify it or describe it. I read a review that said it’s the next stage of reading the book. You don’t have to be a gamer at all. I think if you read a book, unless you read the chapters in reverse order, the story is pretty much going to be the same.
“But with Heavy Rain, depending on what you do, you are going to get a different outcome every time.”
Considering online reactions to Heavy Rain since launch have been very mixed, I don’t think Sony needs to add to the overhyping. Quite a few people have felt quite burned enough already. Not to mention, Heavy Rain is not that new at all, nor is it unique. Dragon’s Lair was doing that stuff years ago, and with much better writing, I might add.
Sony Computer Entertainment CEO on Motion Controls and the Year of the PlayStation 3 [Fast Company, via VG247]