it’s official! Heavy Rain has now gone gold in North America and is off to manufacturing. This PlayStation 3 exclusive, psychological thriller will be available at retail on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 (mark it on your calendar). Don’t forget to pre-order your copy now so you will receive the first chapter of Heavy Rain Chronicles (upcoming downloadable-only episodes for Heavy Rain) at no cost, and you’ll be able to download the first chapter once you’ve picked up your copy of Heavy Rain (otherwise, all others will need to pay $4.99 per chapter and won’t be able to download until a month later — more info to come on Heavy Rain Chronicles).

In addition, we are also confirming that the Heavy Rain demo will be available in North America on Thursday, February 11, 2010 (mark it on your calendar) for download from the PlayStation Store. The demo will allow players to play two chapters from Heavy Rain, featuring Norman Jayden, an FBI agent brought in to help local authorities track down the Origami Killer, and Scott Shelby, a private detective hired by the families of past victims of the Origami Killer to find the serial killer.

And finally, enjoy the new trailer for Heavy Rain!