 PlayStation Official Magazine – UK cover from the January 2019 issue | |
| Editor |
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Computer and video games |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | Winter 2006 |
| Final issue | May 2021 |
| Company | Future Publishing |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Website | officialplaystationmagazine |
| ISSN | 1752-2102 |
| OCLC | 85482095 |
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK,[1] generally abbreviated asOPM, was a magazine based in theUnited Kingdom that coveredPlayStation news[2] created in 2006. Although the first issue was distributed in three-month intervals, from Issue 2 onward, it became a monthly segment. From Issue 7 to Issue 84,[3] the magazine came with a playableBlu-ray disc; it primarily coveredPlayStation 4,PlayStation 4 Pro,PlayStation VR andPlayStation 5 games and material. It also coveredPlayStation Vita material. The magazine covered PlayStation, as well as all aspects ofHD media in lesser detail.
On 30 April 2021,GamesRadar+ announced that theOfficial PlayStation Magazine title would end, citing "along with Sony we felt that theOfficial PlayStation Magazine had finally earned a well-deserved retirement", and the magazine would be relaunched asPlay. Staff would remain the same, while subscribers to OPM would continue to be subscribed with the issues number resetting.[4]
 Issue 108 (March 2004) – the final edition ofOfficial UK PlayStation Magazine, withLara Croft on the cover | |
| Editor-in-Chief |
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Gaming |
| Frequency | 13 issues a year |
| Publisher | Future Publishing UK |
| First issue | November 1995 |
| Final issue Number | March 2004 108 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 1367-4471 |
| OCLC | 390817337 |
TheOfficial UK PlayStation Magazine was a magazine launched in November 1995 to coincide with the launch of thePlayStation console. It ran for 108 issues, with the last hitting news stands in March 2004. The first issue sold 37,000 copies.[citation needed] Roughly midway through its run the abbreviations in the magazine changed fromPSM toOPM (this was mainly because another magazine by the name ofPSM2 was launched in the 4th quarter of 2000, and so as not to cause confusion, the abbreviations of the official magazine were changed toOPM). It had 3 design changes in its lifetime: 1 to 51, 52 to 72, and finally 73 to 108.
The first game to be reviewed wasWipeout, which received 8/10. The last game to be reviewed wasFord Truck Mania, which garnered 7/10.
The magazine would go on to become not only the best selling PlayStation magazine in the United Kingdom, but the best selling videogames magazine in the world.[5][6] By mid-1997,PSM was selling over 150,000 issues a month.[citation needed] In the month of February 1999, issue 42 (cover game:Metal Gear Solid), according toABC the magazine managed a record 453,571, beating the UK's biggest lads magazinesFHM,Maxim andLoaded.[citation needed]
| Editor |
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Gaming |
| Frequency | 13 issues a year |
| Publisher | Future Publishing UK |
| First issue | December 2000 |
| Final issue Number | July 2008 100 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 1472-3123 |
| OCLC | 223301420 |
Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine (often abbreviated toOPS2) was launched in December 2000 as the sequel publication to theOfficial UK PlayStation Magazine, originally priced £4.99, to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation 2 console. Each month the magazine came with a cover-mounted playable demo DVD. It ran for 100 issues, with the last going on sale in the month of July 2008. It had four design changes in its lifetime: 1 to 25, 26 to 41, 42 to 89, and finally 90 to 100.
The first game to be reviewed wasTekken Tag Tournament, which received 8/10. The last game to be reviewed wasSBK-08: Superbike World Championship, which earned 7/10. The magazine would go on to become the UK's best selling PlayStation 2 magazine, peaking with 197,348 readers in 2002.[7]
In the beginning,OPS2 was designed for the early adopter, encompassing hardcore gamers and previous readers crossing over from the originalOfficial UK PlayStation Magazine.; this ran from issue 1 (December 2000) to 25 (October 2002). Starting from issue 26, the magazine was set the task of attracting a more mass market, mainstream audience, including a full redesign.[8] From issue 34,OPS2 changed again, this time retaining its recent redesign. In a drastic attempt to attract a more young male demographic — similar to that of the independent PlayStation magazines of the '90s — the publication decided to "review" readers' girlfriends and their mothers and increased the number of scantily-clad women, even to the point of including bare breasts. It received a mixed response from readers, and failed to considerably increase the readership. In turn, the magazine featured another redesign from issue 42.OPS2 would retain this middle ground for the next three years, neither employing an overly male nor hardcore adult gamer stance. In the final year, as the PlayStation 2 entered a more family-friendly stage, OPS2 changed once more, this time for its final time. Starting from issue 90, the magazine would focus on new PS2 owners and the younger gamer.
The magazine's design follows the same approximate structure each issue. Recurring segments include:
From issues #1 to #51, the magazine followed a set format every month:
 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2019) |
Each month the publication comes with a cover mounted playable demo disc — a first for a console magazine.[citation needed] The disc contains game demos and other PlayStation-related content which have to be downloaded and installed onto the PS3's hard drive.
Although some of the demos are also available on thePlayStation Network, there will be some exclusive content on certain discs. It has also been stated that the magazine will receive exclusive content in the future to be published on the disc.
Usually, one member of the team is assigned to review a certain new game, although on occasion other staff members will provide "2up" or a second opinion. Sometimes there are also pie charts to describe the contents, or what you do in the game. Also used are score poles to compare reviews, as well as describing the influences. And as with the "2up" segment, there is a "dev talk" article giving a short statement from the games developer. Reviews are scored out of ten.
The magazine also presents its "highest accolade", the Gold Award, to any game that its staff believe "demonstrates significant innovation, near-flawless gameplay, great graphics and long-lasting appeal." Games do not necessarily have to have a perfect 10 out of 10 score to receive it; those that have received this award includeFIFA 09,FIFA 11,Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,[9]Mirror's Edge,Grand Theft Auto IV,Warhawk,The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,Siren: Blood Curse,Uncharted: Drake's Fortune,Soulcalibur IV,LittleBigPlanet,Resistance 2,Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction,Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time,Infamous,BioShock,Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,Killzone 2,Assassin's Creed II,Heavy Rain, andRed Dead Redemption for thePlayStation 3;Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the PlayStation 2; andGod of War: Chains of Olympus andFinal Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for thePlayStation Portable.
The only game to receive a 0 rating was the DVD version ofTime Traveler.
As of Issue 140, the team listed on the magazine's first page consists of:
In issue 50 (October 2010), the magazine published the results of the readers poll on the greatest PlayStation title ever released.[10]
In the final March 2004 issue, the magazine published their list of the official top 10 PlayStation games of all time.[11]
| No. | Game | Publisher (PAL) | Developer | Release (PAL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ISS Pro Evolution 2 | Konami | KCE Tokyo | 2001 |
| 2 | Metal Gear Solid | Konami | KCE Japan | 1999 |
| 3 | Tomb Raider | Eidos Interactive | Core Design | 1996 |
| 4 | Gran Turismo 2 | SCEE | Polyphony Digital | 2000 |
| 5 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | Activision | Neversoft | 2000 |
| 6 | Resident Evil 2 | Virgin Interactive | Capcom | 1998 |
| 7 | PaRappa the Rapper | SCEE | NanaOn-Sha | 1997 |
| 8 | Medal of Honor | Electronic Arts | DreamWorks Interactive | 1999 |
| 9 | Circuit Breakers | Mindscape | Supersonic Software | 1998 |
| 10 | Tekken 2 | SCEE | Namco | 1996 |
With the new look, the magazine published their Hall of Fame for each platform.[12]
Official PlayStation Magazine – Ireland (OIPM) was a TP Media monthly gaming publication.[13] The first issue was published in May 2000.
The magazine was conceived by TP Media. Ireland's large PlayStation adoption rate[citation needed] and the greatly increased prices of imported UK publications at the time were contributing factors in launching such a magazine.[citation needed] The Official UK PlayStation Magazine published byFuture Publishing could cost up to £9.99IEP due to Irish import fees.
Although the first three issues of the magazine had the same cover as the UK magazine, OIPM's content was original and written by a team in Ireland, headed by Kevin MacDermot. Certain features were directly taken from the UK version. The magazine's A-Z section was also taken from the UK version, although all future entries were based on OIPM's reviews, not the UK ones.
PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia is a video games magazine published byFuture Australia.[14] The first issue was published in March 2007.
The magazine's origin dates back to the original PlayStation console. The magazine was called "Official Australian PlayStation Magazine". As the era changed, it would be rebranded as "Official PlayStation 2 Magazine-Australia". Finally, to coincide with the release of thePlayStation 3, it was rebranded again as "PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia". The magazine's title is often abbreviated to OPM.
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