It's been an informative couple days for those of us waiting for David Cage's upcoming interactive drama Heavy Rain. Since Sony announced a Q1 release for the title, speculation has steadily been honing in on a mid-February release, and today, in an update to the official Playstation Blog, Sony confirmed the official date - February 23rd.

In addition, we've spotted Quantic Dream's new Heavy Rain trailer coming out of CES for the Japanese market. Like it's predecessors, the trailer continues to build anticipation for the innovative game with emotional set-pieces and engaging action - not to mention the footage looks incredible.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQWgJFaL49Y

As someone who appreciates games that take the time to develop complex characters and emotionally challenging narratives, I'm excited for the possibilities that Heavy Rain is positioned to initiate in the gaming industry. Sure the title isn't likely to outsell Mass Effect 2 or put a noticable dent in God of War III's sales numbers but Heavy Rain stands to be one of the most innovative and meaningful titles of the year, as well as a glimpse into a number of facets poised to play a role in the future of gaming.

If you're already sold on Heavy Rain don't forget to pre-order your copy in order to receive the first episode of the upcoming playable DLC "The Heavy Rain Chronicles" free of charge.

What are your thoughts on Heavy Rain and the potential for future titles that might follow in the interactive drama path?

Heavy Rain will be released exclusively for the PS3 on February 23rd 2010.

Source: Playstation Blog & Machinima