Heavy Rain pushed into 2010 by "crowded" Christmas

Heavy Rain will release in 2010 to give it "space to live" away from the hectic Christmas retail period, Quantic Dream co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere has told GI.

"Purely from my perspective, most publishers today realise that it's not ideal to release a new IP or a new genre just before Christmas," he said.

"It's a very crowded place to be, and certain games need more space to live their life. Everybody at working on the project, both at Quantic and Sony, believe this is the right time."

The thriller's alpha was delivered on April 15, the developer added, "on time, on budget".

Expect a better look from Gamescom in Cologne next month.