PlayStation Official Magazine – UK
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK cover from the January 2019 issue
EditorTim Clark (issues 1 to 39)
Ben Wilson (issues 40 to 95)
Matthew Pellett (96 to 134)
Ian Dean (135 to present)
CategoriesComputer and video games
FrequencyMonthly
First issueWinter 2006
Final issueMay 2021
CompanyFuture Publishing
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk
ISSN1752-2102
OCLC85482095

PlayStation Official Magazine – UK,[1] generally abbreviated as OPM, was a magazine based in the United Kingdom that covered PlayStation 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 playable Blu-ray disc; it primarily covered PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation VR and PlayStation 5 games and material. It also covered PlayStation Vita material. The magazine covered PlayStation, as well as all aspects of HD media in lesser detail.

On 30 April 2021, GamesRadar+ announced that the Official PlayStation Magazine title would end, citing "along with Sony we felt that the Official PlayStation Magazine had finally earned a well-deserved retirement", and the magazine would be relaunched as Play. Staff would remain the same, while subscribers to OPM would continue to be subscribed with the issues number resetting.[4]

Official UK PlayStation Magazine

Official UK PlayStation Magazine
Issue 108 (March 2004) – the final edition of Official UK PlayStation Magazine, with Lara Croft on the cover
Editor-in-ChiefSteve Jarratt (issue 1 to 7)
Rob Pegley (issue 8 to 42)
Mike Goldsmith (issue 43 to 63)
Mark Donald (issue 64 to 76)
Richard Keith (issue 77 to 97)
Ryan Butt (issue 98 to 108)
CategoriesGaming
Frequency13 issues a year
PublisherFuture Publishing UK
First issueNovember 1995
Final issue
Number		March 2004
108
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1367-4471
OCLC390817337

The Official UK PlayStation Magazine was a magazine launched in November 1995 to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation console. It ran for 108 issues, with the last hitting news stands in March 2004. The first issue sold 37,000 copies. Roughly midway through its run the abbreviations in the magazine changed from PSM to OPM (this was mainly because another magazine by the name of PSM2 was launched in the 4th quarter of 2000, and so as not to cause confusion, the abbreviations of the official magazine were changed to OPM). 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 was Wipeout, which received 8/10. The last game to be reviewed was Ford 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. In the month of February 1999, issue 42 (cover game: Metal Gear Solid), according to ABC the magazine managed a record 453,571, beating the UK's biggest lads magazines FHM, Maxim and Loaded.

Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine

Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine
EditorMike Goldsmith (Issue 1 to 17)
Sam Richards (Issue 18 to 33)
Richard Keith
Stephen Pierce
Tim Clark (issue 57 to 76)
George Walter (acting ed) (issue 77 to 78)
Nick Ellis (issue 79 to 94)
Andy Hartup (issue 95 to 100)
CategoriesGaming
Frequency13 issues a year
PublisherFuture Publishing UK
First issueDecember 2000
Final issue
Number		July 2008
100
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1472-3123
OCLC223301420

Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine (often abbreviated to OPS2) was launched in December 2000 as the sequel publication to the Official 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. The magazine was commonly abbreviated OPS2. 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 was Tekken Tag Tournament, which received 8/10. The last game to be reviewed was SBK-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.

Target demographic

In the beginning OPS2 was designed for the early adopter – encompassing hardcore gamers and previous readers crossing over from the original Official 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. This included a full redesign.[7] From issue 34, OPS2 changed again – however 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.

Awards

  • In 2004, OPSM2 won the prestigious Industry Dinner Magazine of the Year Award.
  • In 2004, OPSM2 publication won MCV's Magazine Team of the Year Award.
  • In 1998 and 1999, OPSM won the prestigious Industry Dinner Magazine of the Year Award.

Regular features

The magazine's design follows the same approximate structure each issue. Recurring segments include:

  • The Big 10, in which the ten most momentous PlayStation-related pieces of news are discussed.
  • Agenda, which contains the game sales charts for all three major PlayStation platforms as well as a Personal column and regulars like Culture, where PlayStation super fans show off their art, models and tributes. It also shows off the latest Sony gadgets (mainly phones and cameras) as well as "Lust have kit".
  • Previews and reviews sections.
  • Blu-ray movies section in which the latest Blu-ray releases are reviewed.
  • Contact, in which letters and emails from readers are shown and replied to, this section also includes a corner dedicated to "what's on my hard drive" where people talk about what games, videos, music, photos and friends are on their PS3 and several wall posts from the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Facebook page.
  • Directory, which houses a "Buyer's Guide" for games for the main platforms as well as for HDTVs.

OPM

From issues #1 to #51, the magazine followed a set format every month:

  • StartUp (featuring a quick run through of the games featured on the cover disc and editor's letter)
  • Update (news, interviews and first looks. With each page, a 'Loading Bar' percentage increased)
  • PrePlay (previews)
  • Letters (this was later moved to the back of the magazine in a section called 'Down Loading')
  • Features
  • PlayTest (reviews)
  • Cheats (later called 'Top Secret', a special section which was printed on recycled paper)
  • Down Loading
  • On the CD (demo game controls)
  • Next Month

OPS2

  • Spy (news and the latest announcements)
  • Monitor (previews, as voted for by the readers)
  • Features
  • Next Month
  • Letters
  • Replay (looking at previously reviewed titles, review A to Z, cheats)
  • Comedown (DVD and Music reviews)
  • On the Disc

Demo disc

Each month the publication comes with a cover mounted playable demo disc — a first for a console magazine. 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 the PlayStation 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.

Reviews

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 include FIFA 09, FIFA 11, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,[8] 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, and Red Dead Redemption for the PlayStation 3; Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the PlayStation 2; and God of War: Chains of Olympus and Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for the PlayStation Portable.

The only game to receive a 0 rating was the DVD version of Time Traveler.

Editorial staff

As of Issue 140, the team listed on the magazine's first page consists of:

  • Ian Dean – Editor
  • Milford Coppock – Managing art editor
  • Miriam McDonald – Operations editor
  • Oscar Taylor-Kent – Games editor
  • Jessica Kinghorn – Staff writer

Top Ten Readers Poll

In issue 50 (October 2010), the magazine published the results of the readers poll on the greatest PlayStation title ever released.[9]

Top Ten listing
Number Game
1 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
2 Metal Gear Solid
3 Final Fantasy VII
4 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
5 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
6 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
7 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
8 Shadow of the Colossus
9 Red Dead Redemption
10 Resident Evil 4

Desert Island Games

In the final March 2004 issue, the magazine published their list of the official top 10 PlayStation games of all time.[10]

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

Hall of Fame

With the new look, the magazine published their Hall of Fame for each platform.[11]

Top Fifteen listing (Twenty-Five for PlayStation 4)
Number PS3 PS4 PS5 PS VR PSVita
1 The Last of Us Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Demons Souls Rez Infinite Tearaway
2 Grand Theft Auto V The Last Guardian Miles Morales Thumper Persona 4: Golden
3 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Astro's Playroom Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Rayman Legends
4 Red Dead Redemption Grand Theft Auto V Mortal Kombat 11 Statik Velocity 2X
5 Journey Persona 5 Dirt 5 Resident Evil VII: Biohazard Little Big Planet
6 Mass Effect 2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition The Pathless Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission Super Meat Boy!
7 Dark Souls Horizon Zero Dawn NBA 2K21 RIGS: Mechanized Combat League Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
8 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Bloodborne Observer System: Redux Star Trek: Bridge Crew Gravity Rush
9 Portal 2 Injustice 2 Sackboy: A Big Adventure Batman: Arkham VR Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
10 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Resident Evil VII: Biohazard Immortals: Fenyx Rising Farpoint Spelunky
11 BioShock Infinite Street Fighter V Devil May Cry 5 The Playroom VR Steins;Gate
12 Batman: Arkham City Destiny: The Collection Godfall Werewolves Within Hotline Miami
13 The Walking Dead: Season One Dishonored 2 FIFA 21 PlayStation VR Worlds Crypt of the Necrodancer
14 Heavy Rain Titanfall 2 Haven Tumble VR Downwell
15 LittleBigPlanet 2 The Last of Us Remastered Gnog Uncharted: Golden Abyss
16 Overwatch
17 Tekken 7
18 Nioh
19 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
20 Dark Souls III
21 The Witness
22 Dirt 4
23 Yakuza 0
24 Inside
25 What Remains of Edith Finch

References

  1. ↑ "Magazine Subscriptions & more – PlayStation Official Magazine – Print – My Favourite Magazines". www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  2. ↑ Interactive Sample of Magazine Archived 2007-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Gander, Matt (3 June 2013). "Official PlayStation Magazine drops demos discs". Games Asylum. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ Dean, Ian (30 April 2021). "Welcome to PLAY: your new PlayStation magazine!". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Official UK PlayStation Magazine, issue 42, Future Publishing, February 1999
  6. ↑ Official UK PlayStation Magazine, issue 65, Future Publishing, December 2000
  7. ↑ "Future PLC". Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  8. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (12 May 2008). "First Official Metal Gear Solid 4 Review". kotaku.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 50, Future Publishing, October 2010
  10. ↑ Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 108, Future Publishing, March 2004
  11. ↑ For example, in Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 107, Future Publishing, March 2015
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