PlayStation World

PlayStation World, commonly abbreviated as PSW, was a video game magazine centered on the PlayStation platform and its software ecosystem. The publication covered platform news, forthcoming releases, game previews, reviews, reader letters, and related editorial material. It was introduced in 2000 by Computec Media and formed part of the UK market for dedicated PlayStation magazines during a period when console-focused publications commonly combined editorial coverage with bundled demonstration or promotional media. A notable part of the magazine's format was its accompanying DVD. The disc included game clips, trailers, reviews, and previews, and its menu design drew on Sony's Xross Media Bar interface, giving the package a visual connection to the PlayStation brand. Issues could also contain supplementary material such as cheat books, game guides, or promotional newspaper-style articles devoted to upcoming games. One unusual incident associated with the DVD content involved a trailer for the film Tetsuo: The Iron Man being accidentally hidden on several discs, an anecdote that later contributed to the publication's cult reputation among some readers. The title changed corporate ownership in the United Kingdom in 2003, when Future Publishing acquired Computec Media's UK operations and added PlayStation World to its magazine portfolio. Circulation reportedly stood at 53,349 per month around the time of the acquisition. It subsequently declined, reaching an average monthly circulation of 17,132 by 2007, while the publication was also reported to have a readership of approximately 210,000. These figures illustrate the pressures faced by print video game magazines as readers increasingly obtained gaming news, previews, and promotional video online. Future Publishing announced on 13 August 2009 that it would close the magazine, citing decreasing demand. The original print publication therefore ended after nearly a decade. A new PlayStation World was launched in February 2011, using the PSW name and developing an online presence that included a website, forum, and YouTube channel identified as 1playstationworld. The available reference material does not establish whether this later operation remained active, its precise corporate ownership, or whether it represented a direct continuation of the former print magazine. PlayStation World is consequently best understood as a media brand with a print phase followed by a later digital revival, rather than as a manufacturer or commercial product line of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

PlayStation World began in 2000 as a monthly video game magazine devoted to Sony's PlayStation brand. Its editorial scope included platform news, game previews, reviews, reader letters, and other features aimed at owners and enthusiasts of PlayStation hardware and software. The magazine appeared during an era in which specialist console publications served as an important source of release information and buying advice before online gaming media became dominant. The publication was initially associated with Computec Media. Its package was broader than a print magazine alone: issues included a DVD carrying game footage, trailers, reviews, and previews. The disc's interface was modeled on Sony's Xross Media Bar, linking the physical publication's presentation to the design language of PlayStation consoles. Some issues also contained extra editorial or practical material, including cheat books, game guides, and promotional newspaper-like supplements focused on forthcoming releases. The DVD format gave the magazine a way to provide audiovisual content that could not be reproduced on the printed page. In 2003, Future Publishing acquired Computec Media's UK operations, bringing PlayStation World into Future's magazine portfolio. The title reportedly had an average monthly circulation of 53,349 around the time of the acquisition. Its circulation later fell substantially; by 2007, the reported average was 17,132, alongside a stated readership figure of approximately 210,000. The decline occurred within a wider transformation of video game media, as websites, online communities, downloadable video, and publisher-controlled digital channels increasingly competed with printed magazines for news and preview coverage. An unusual detail in the magazine's history concerned its bundled DVDs. A trailer for Tetsuo: The Iron Man was accidentally concealed on several discs, making the material difficult for ordinary users to find. The incident was not a corporate scandal, but it became a memorable piece of trivia associated with the publication and its disc-based format. On 13 August 2009, Future Publishing announced that it would close PlayStation World. The stated reason was decreasing demand, and the original print publication ended after operating for roughly nine years. In February 2011, a new PlayStation World was launched under the same or closely related name. This later version developed a web presence consisting of a website, forum, and YouTube channel named 1playstationworld. The available reference does not provide enough information to determine the later edition's ownership, staffing, commercial performance, or eventual status. The brand's documented history therefore comprises an original Computec-era magazine, a period under Future Publishing, the closure of the print title in 2009, and a subsequent digital-oriented revival in 2011.

• 2011

  PlayStation World is relaunched online

  [1]PlayStation Worlden.wikipedia.org

  A new PlayStation World appears with a website, forum, and YouTube channel identified as 1playstationworld.

• 2009

  Print magazine closes

  [1]PlayStation Worlden.wikipedia.org

  Future Publishing announces on 13 August that PlayStation World will close because of decreasing demand.

• 2007

  Reported circulation reaches 17,132

  [1]PlayStation Worlden.wikipedia.org

  The magazine's reported average monthly circulation has declined to 17,132, compared with the higher figure reported around the 2003 ownership change.

• 2003

  Future Publishing acquires the UK operation connected with the title

  [1]PlayStation Worlden.wikipedia.org

  Future Publishing acquires Computec Media's UK operations and adds PlayStation World to its portfolio.

• 2000

  PlayStation World launches

  [1]PlayStation Worlden.wikipedia.org

  Computec Media launches PlayStation World as a monthly magazine covering the PlayStation brand, including news, previews, reviews, and reader letters.

A specialist PlayStation media brand combining magazine journalism, reviews, previews, reader interaction, and bundled video content, later extended into online publishing.

• Print magazine · 2000

  PlayStation World magazine

  The core monthly publication covered the PlayStation platform through news, previews, reviews, letters, and other editorial features. It was aimed at PlayStation players and functioned as a specialist buying and entertainment guide during the print-magazine era.

• Bundled video media

  PlayStation World DVD

  The magazine's accompanying DVD provided game footage, trailers, reviews, and previews. Its menu was designed around Sony's Xross Media Bar, reinforcing the publication's visual association with the PlayStation platform.

• Digital media · 2011

  PlayStation World online publication

  The 2011 revival included a website and forum, together with a YouTube channel known as 1playstationworld. The available reference material does not establish the scope, ownership, or continuing activity of this digital edition.

• 2011

  Digital-oriented revivalStrategy

  Background

  After the print magazine closed in 2009, a new publication using the PlayStation World name appeared in February 2011.

  Action taken

  The revived operation established a website, forum, and YouTube channel under the 1playstationworld identity.

  Aftermath

  The brand extended beyond its original print format, but the available reference does not document its later performance or current status.

  Source

• 2009

  Closure of the print magazineOther

  Background

  Reported circulation had fallen to 17,132 by 2007, and Future Publishing cited decreasing demand when announcing the closure.

  Action taken

  Future Publishing announced on 13 August 2009 that the PlayStation World magazine would be closed.

  Aftermath

  The original print title ended, although a new online PlayStation World was launched in February 2011.

  Source

1. 1PlayStation Worlden.wikipedia.org