Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was a U.S. monthly video-game publication devoted exclusively to PlayStation hardware, software, and culture.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, commonly abbreviated OPM, was a U.S. monthly video-game magazine published by Ziff Davis Media. It served as a dedicated editorial publication for Sony's PlayStation ecosystem during a period in which the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 3 defined major parts of the console market. The magazine was a sister publication to Electronic Gaming Monthly and occupied a more focused position than a general-interest game magazine: its coverage concentrated on PlayStation hardware, software, accessories, developers, games, and the broader culture surrounding Sony's consoles. The first issue was cover dated October 1997 and was published on September 23 of that year. OPM subsequently operated for nearly ten years, with its final issue cover dated January 2007. The publication therefore spanned the later years of the original PlayStation, the entire commercial rise of PlayStation 2, and the initial transition toward PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable coverage. Although it was an official-branded magazine, its editorial identity was that of a conventional enthusiast publication, combining reviews, previews, news, features, interviews, and coverage of the PlayStation business and community. A defining feature was the disc supplied with each issue. OPM was the first gaming magazine to include a disc containing playable PlayStation demos. The discs initially combined playable demonstrations with non-playable video footage. Over time, the supplementary material expanded to include interviews, reports from industry events, and video walkthroughs. This made the magazine a practical sampling and discovery product as well as a printed editorial publication, allowing readers to try selected games before purchase. The disc format evolved with the PlayStation platform. Beginning with issue 49, cover dated October 2001, OPM began carrying PlayStation 2 demo discs, although original PlayStation discs continued to appear intermittently for a period. Issues 50, 52, and 54 were the last issues to include original PlayStation demo discs. The discs were developed by LifeLike Productions, Inc. OPM also distributed a PlayStation Portable demo of Killzone: Liberation, but that item was available with retail copies rather than subscription issues. The magazine ended before an anticipated transition to PlayStation 3 demo discs could take place. The publication's staff included editor in chief Tom Byron, managing editor Dana Jongewaard, senior editor Joe Rybicki, previews editor Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen, and news editor Giancarlo Varanini. Its presence also extended into digital media through OPM-related material on 1UP.com, including the RadiOPM official podcast. After OPM was discontinued, the independent magazine PSM was relaunched in December 2007 as PlayStation: The Official Magazine, taking over the role of an official U.S. magazine focused on Sony consoles. OPM is therefore best understood as a discontinued periodical brand whose principal distinction was the combination of dedicated PlayStation editorial coverage and recurring playable-demo media.
History
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was created as a dedicated U.S. periodical for Sony's PlayStation platform. Published by Ziff Davis Media and associated with the company's Electronic Gaming Monthly publishing operation, it launched with a first issue cover dated October 1997. Its editorial remit was deliberately narrow: rather than covering the entire games industry, it focused on PlayStation hardware, software, accessories, developers, releases, and the culture surrounding Sony's console business. The magazine's nearly ten-year run coincided with several important stages of PlayStation history. It covered the mature phase of the original PlayStation, the launch and expansion of PlayStation 2, the arrival of PlayStation Portable, and the beginning of the PlayStation 3 generation. Across these transitions, the publication operated as both a conventional print magazine and a product-discovery channel for PlayStation owners. Issues carried news, previews, reviews, features, interviews, event reporting, and other editorial material intended for a platform-loyal audience. OPM was particularly notable for its bundled media. From its first issue, each magazine included a disc containing playable demonstrations of PlayStation games along with video footage. This made OPM the first gaming magazine identified in the reference material as carrying a disc with playable PlayStation demos. Later discs added interviews, industry-event coverage, and video walkthroughs. The discs were produced by LifeLike Productions, Inc., giving the recurring supplement a distinct production partner and a consistent role in the magazine's product proposition. As Sony's hardware generations changed, the disc program changed as well. Beginning with issue 49, cover dated October 2001, OPM started including PlayStation 2 demo discs. Original PlayStation discs were still issued intermittently for a time; issues 50, 52, and 54 are identified as the last issues to contain them. The publication also released one PlayStation Portable demo, Killzone: Liberation, but that demo was distributed with retail copies rather than subscription issues. OPM ceased publication before the anticipated move to PlayStation 3 demo discs. The brand also had a digital presence. OPM-related material appeared through 1UP.com, including RadiOPM, described as the official podcast. Staff associated with the publication included editor in chief Tom Byron, managing editor Dana Jongewaard, senior editor Joe Rybicki, previews editor Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen, and news editor Giancarlo Varanini. These roles indicate an editorial organization structured around magazine management, reviews and features, previews, and news coverage. The final issue was cover dated January 2007, ending a publication history of almost a decade. In December of the same year, the independent magazine PSM was relaunched as PlayStation: The Official Magazine, assuming the position of the official U.S. magazine dedicated to Sony's consoles. OPM's historical importance lies less in corporate scale than in its specialized format: it joined official platform affiliation with enthusiast journalism and tangible playable software, an approach that was especially valuable before digital console storefronts made downloadable demos and trailers widely available.
- 2007
Final issue
[1]The magazine ended with its January 2007 cover-dated issue after nearly ten years of publication.
- 2007
Successor publication announced through relaunch
[1]PSM became PlayStation: The Official Magazine in December 2007, replacing OPM as the official PlayStation-focused magazine in the United States.
- 2001
PlayStation 2 demo discs introduced
[1]Beginning with issue 49, OPM started supplying PlayStation 2 demo discs, while original PlayStation discs continued intermittently.
- 1997
First issue published
[1]The first issue of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was published on September 23, 1997, with an October 1997 cover date.
Products and positioning
A platform-specific enthusiast publication combining official PlayStation branding, editorial coverage, product discovery, and playable demonstration media.
Periodical publication · 1997
Monthly print magazine
The core product was a monthly enthusiast magazine covering PlayStation hardware, software, games, accessories, industry developments, and platform culture. Its editorial package included news, previews, reviews, features, interviews, and event coverage. The publication followed the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the early PlayStation 3 eras, giving it a platform-specific editorial identity rather than the broader scope of a general video-game magazine.
Bundled software media · 1997
PlayStation demo discs
OPM's recurring discs contained playable game demonstrations and non-playable video material. Later editions expanded into interviews, industry-event reports, and video walkthroughs. The program began with original PlayStation content, moved toward PlayStation 2 discs from issue 49 in 2001, and for a period alternated between the two generations. LifeLike Productions, Inc. developed the demo discs.
PlayStation Portable promotional demo
Killzone: Liberation demo
OPM released a PlayStation Portable demo for Killzone: Liberation. Unlike the regular subscription supplements, this demo was available with retail copies of the magazine. It was the publication's identified PSP demo release and appeared before the magazine was discontinued.
Podcast
RadiOPM
RadiOPM was an official OPM podcast distributed through 1UP.com. It extended the magazine's PlayStation-focused editorial presence into digital audio and complemented the print publication's news, commentary, and game-coverage activities.
Brand decisions
2007
Publication discontinuedOtherBackground
After nearly ten years of monthly publication, OPM ended during the transition from the PlayStation 2 era to newer Sony platforms.
Action taken
The final issue carried a January 2007 cover date, ending the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine brand.
Aftermath
PSM was relaunched as PlayStation: The Official Magazine in December 2007 and took over the official U.S. PlayStation magazine role.
2001
Shift toward PlayStation 2 demo discsGeneration changeBackground
Sony's PlayStation 2 had become the relevant successor platform while OPM still served readers who owned the original PlayStation. The magazine needed its bundled software media to reflect the newer hardware generation.
Action taken
Starting with issue 49, cover dated October 2001, OPM began including PlayStation 2 demo discs. Original PlayStation discs continued intermittently, with issues 50, 52, and 54 identified as the last such editions.
Aftermath
The disc program moved progressively toward newer PlayStation hardware, although the magazine ended before an anticipated PlayStation 3 demo-disc transition.
Recent events
- 2007
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine discontinued[1]
Other
OPM ended with its January 2007 cover-dated issue after a run of nearly ten years. The publication ended before the expected transition to PlayStation 3 demo discs.
- 2007
PSM becomes PlayStation: The Official Magazine[1]
Other · Product launch
In December 2007, the independent magazine PSM was relaunched as PlayStation: The Official Magazine, replacing OPM as the official U.S. magazine focused on Sony game consoles.
- 2001
OPM begins PlayStation 2 demo-disc program[1]
Product generation · Product launch
Starting with issue 49, cover dated October 2001, the magazine began supplying PlayStation 2 demo discs, while original PlayStation discs continued to appear intermittently for a limited period.
- 1997
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine launches[1]
Other · Product launch
Ziff Davis Media published the first issue of the dedicated U.S. PlayStation magazine, cover dated October 1997. The launch established a platform-specific publication for PlayStation hardware, games, and culture.
Sources2 sources
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