Playstation Magazine Issue 1
Prewitt Howells
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (often abbreviated to OPM) was a monthly video game magazine published by Ziff Davis Media. It was a sister publication of Electronic Gaming Monthly. The magazine focused exclusively on PlayStation hardware, software, and culture, covering the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. Each issue included a disc that contained playable demos and videos of PlayStation games. The magazine had a nearly ten-year run. The first issue, cover dated October 1997, was published September 23, 1997,[1] while the final issue was cover dated January 2007.
OPM was the first gaming magazine to include a disc that featured playable demos of PlayStation games. Beginning with issue one, each magazine came with a disc containing playable PlayStation game demos and non-playable video footage. Later, interviews, industry event coverage, and video walkthroughs of games would also be included on the discs. Beginning with issue 49 (October 2001), the magazine came with a PlayStation 2 demo disc, though for a time it would still be alternated with original PlayStation demo discs. Issues 50, 52, and 54 were the last issues to include demo discs for the original PlayStation. All of the demo discs were developed by LifeLike Productions, Inc.
OPM had released one PlayStation Portable demo, Killzone: Liberation. It was available only with the purchase of retail copies rather than subscription issues. The magazine was discontinued before making the assumed transition to PlayStation 3 demo discs.
Similar international editions of the magazine exist in Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil and Australia. The Belgian edition is also published in the Netherlands.
The Australian edition was originally published by Next Media bi-monthly, but eventually became a monthly magazine. APC published the magazine after issue 18. It is currently published by Derwent Howard and is edited by Narayan Pattison.
As such, I also had to depend on Walmart for my video gaming magazines and strategy guides. The desire to play Parappa the Rapper is likely why I had to have the demo disc that was included, probably seconded by some curiosity surrounding Fighting Force. At a mere $8, I figured anything else the publication and disc provided was just an added bonus.
Obviously, the disc is what made me jump at the purchase in 1997, but after reading through the issue in 2023, this was actually a well put-together magazine that gives a reader a snapshot of the PlayStation gaming scene in 1997. Despite being U.S. PlayStation affiliated, the magazine offers segments that matched what other independent magazines were doing at the time in covering Japanese game releases and media.
OPM #1 breaks the news that Namco formed a partnership with Squaresoft/Dream Factory to develop a new fighting game for the Namco System 12 hardware. At this time, it was only noted that more would be unveiled at the September 1997 JAMMA show, but we obviously know now that the game in question would become Ehrgeiz.
Interesting to me that both Twisted Metal and its sequel are included in the list. OPM seems surprised to see Jampack Vol. 1 on the list, but it provided a decent amount of playable demos at a price of just a few bucks and was a newer retail concept for its time, so I would honestly believe it would move well in regard to the number of units sold compared to anything like revenue earned.
I need to search out Deathtrap Dungeon. I recall it getting trashed in reviews, but in previews and screenshots, it looks awesome. If a game sends me into a dungeon with a sword to fight things like a T. Rex, I need to find some sort of redeeming value in a game like this.
There is also an odd amount of space dedicated to Vs., which includes a little comic strip involving staff from the magazine. This is another fighting game I need to figure out, as it is absolutely bizarre.
Other import games are previewed, which include Einhander, Virtual Hiryu no Ken, Metal Slug, Samurai Shodown RPG, Gradius Gaiden, Zero Divide 2, Derby Stallion and Bloody Roar. An interesting mix of games, and a couple of those actually managed to release in the U.S.!
The interesting aspect of Ghost in the Shell coming to PlayStation was the game was a Sony Computer Entertainment International project, handled by Sony itself in Japan. However, it opted to not handle the release for the U.S. PlayStation, and THQ ended up with the game in its lap.
According to THQ Producer Don Nauert, the U.S. company only needed to change some button configurations, screen text and then create a new voicing dub for the English audience. It is claimed no content censorship or adjustments were made in porting the game, as it is intended for an older audience.
Strategy Guides in this issue include Final Fantasy VII (8 pages) to teach players what materia and limit breaks and introduce the characters, a Time Crisis guide that maps out the paths of the special mode (4 pages) and seven pages filled with codes and tricks for a variety of recent and older game titles.
As I begin to share my memories of my favourite computer games on here, again I thought that I would start by doing something a little different and actually write about an old gaming magazine that I used to enjoy reading. The Official UK PlayStation Magazine was published by Future 13 times a year and eventually ran for just over eight years from November 1995 when the PlayStation launched in the UK to March 2004.
When I got a PlayStation for Christmas in 1998 I decided that it might be a good idea to try some magazines to find out more about games, although I had various consoles before this I never bought any magazines, so my first experience of them was buying The Official UK PlayStation Magazine from issue 40 which was over 200 pages and I was very impressed. There were various unofficial PlayStation magazines around at the time, the shelves in supermarkets seemed to be packed with them for a while, but although it cost a little more one of the incentives to buy the official magazine was that it featured the free gift of a demo disc, giving people the chance to try various games before they went on sale.
There were three distinct eras of the magazine. When I first bought the magazine it was incredibly popular. Issue 42 which featured the exclusive review of the hotly anticipated Metal Gear Solid sold over 450,000 copies and I believe that it is the biggest-selling issue of a computer games magazine anywhere in the world. Also around this time there was charismatic writing with all the latest games being rated out of ten, lots of competitions and interviews with major figures in the industry and celebrity gaming fans, which led to the magazine even winning some awards. It just proves how successful the PlayStation was at the time with gamers and it was great to be able to read the magazine.
The second era began at the end of 1999 with a relaunch from issue 52. I suppose this was them preparing for the new millennium as it seems everyone else had to at that time. The magazine remained popular with lots of reviews and enjoyable features. One of my favourites was a parody of games news with King Mr Scoop. Of course things change quickly in the gaming industry though and when the PlayStation 2 and its own official magazine launched at the end of 2000 the next generation of gaming was here.
hello. I like this mag too.Later issues was a quite garbage but I am a collector and i am still missing some issues. I am looking for the last issues (107 and 108). Can you help me where i can find these ones? I would like to buy it from you if you have some (but i am from Czech Republic). Thanks for reply
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