Rise and fall of OPSM (The Official UK Playstation Magazine)

Member Name: Flatline

Product:	The Official UK Playstation Magazine
Date:	01/09/00 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent Demo Disk, old issues are quite good

Disadvantages: Badly written, Reviews often inaccurate, Embarrassing to read

If you can cast your mind back 4 or 5 years, it was the dawn of the new age of gaming. Although I had played games a lot in the previous years I hadn't owned a gaming computer since the ZX Spectrum. The Playstation had just come onto the scene and although I was tempted something held me back; the fact that gaming just was not cool. About a month later a Playstation had taken pride of place in front of my television. What had changed in that month was one thing, I had read the Official Playstation Magazine (OPSM).
From my youth the only thing I could remember about magazines were the wonders of Crash, Your Spectrum and C&VG. Even at the age of 14 they all struck me as immature, badly written and patronising. The ones with demo cassettes (you remember cassettes don't you?) were the worst, they were basically a propaganda leaflet wrapped around a cheap piece of plastic. It therefore came as a shock to read OPSM: reasonably intelligent, professionally produced, but most of all not embarrassing to read. All this and a decent demo disk. Suddenly gaming was ok, in fact gaming was cool.
Over the next 3-4 years I found it had the most reliable reviews of all the Playstation magazines only The Edge and C&VG really bettering OPSM. This was all assuming you stuck to the unwritten marking system. A mark of less than 7 "do not buy", A mark of 7 or 8 "consider it carefully", A mark of 9 or 10 "ok to buy".
It was just over a year ago that I noticed all was not well in Official Playstation land. Things began to change, for the worse. The writing went downhill rapidly presumably to appeal to 'the kids'. They started including pointless, incomprehensible letters written by half-wits and always accompanied by the dreaded amateurish drawings. The news turned into lazily regurgitated press releases. The worst however came soon after; the demise of the reliable reviewing system. There were a string of reviews which had were given
undeserving 9 or 10's including the by now tired Tomb Raider series and a gaggle of extremely indifferent football games. The final straw was when they gave Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the game, 9 out of 10. Slated by the majority of other magazines it was probably the worst cash-in to grace the Playstation since the previous Star Wars: Jedi Knight Masters of Terror Kazee (you know what I mean) but which they had the decency to give a 6 out of 10.
I mourn slightly today as I watch the once great OPSM wallow in a mire of it's own success. Perhaps one day they will realise the error of their ways or perhaps it is just the sticky tape holding together my gaming rose tinted glasses has finally given way. Whichever it is my advice must be; if you like to read and look at pretty pictures buy The Edge, if you like nice demos and don't mind the embarrassment buy OPSM.

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