Play (UK magazine)

Last updated

PLAY
Play cover small.jpg
Cover for issue #190
EditorOscar Taylor-Kent
Staff writers Managing Art Editor: Milford Coppock
Operations Editor: Miriam McDonald
Games Editor: Jessica Kinghorn
Contributing Writer: Dashiell Wood
Categories Video games
FrequencyMonthly
First issueOctober 1995 (Original), June 2021 (Revival)
Final issueOctober 2024
Company Future Publishing
Country United Kingdom
Based in Bath
Website Official Play website
ISSN 2754-0421

Play (stylised as PLAY) was a United Kingdom magazine which reported on Sony's PlayStation product range. It was produced and published monthly by Future plc. It featured news, reviews, and previews concerning upcoming PlayStation titles. In addition to being sold in the UK, PLAY was also sold in Australia (as PLAY Australia) and as an import in the United States. [1]

Contents

History

Imagine Publishing

The magazine was first launched in 1995 by Imagine Publishing and was closed in 2016. Before it closed, the magazine had become the UK's longest-running PlayStation magazine. [2] Issue 269, the magazine's final printed edition was published in April 2016 when it become a digital only publication for a short time. [3] Prior to issue 249, PLAY came with a covermounted DVD every issue.[ citation needed ]

Future plc

Future plc acquired Imagine Publishing and its brands in 2016. [4] In May 2021, the PLAY brand was resurrected as a replacement for PlayStation Official Magazine UK. [5] The numbering was reset and the staff were retained from PlayStation Official Magazine UK. [6] The relaunched magazine was part of GamesRadar+. [7] In October 2024, Future announced the magazine would cease publication. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lara Croft</span> Fictional protagonist of Tomb Raider

Lara Croft is a character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise Tomb Raider. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world. Created by a team at British developer Core Design that included Toby Gard, the character first appeared in the video game Tomb Raider in 1996.

PC Gamer is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries. The magazine features news on developments in the video game industry, previews of new games, and reviews of the latest popular PC games, along with other features relating to hardware, mods, "classic" games and various other topics. PC Gamer and parent Future began digital PC Gaming Show at E3 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future plc</span> British publishing company

Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

<i>Edge</i> (magazine) UK video game magazine

Edge is a multi-format video game magazine published by Future plc. It is a UK-based magazine and publishes 13 issues annually. The magazine was launched by Steve Jarratt. It has also released foreign editions in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

<i>Computer and Video Games</i> UK magazine and website

Computer and Video Games was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website was launched in 1999 and closed in February 2015. CVG was the longest-running video game media brand in the world. Several CVG writers led the creation of Video Games Chronicle in 2019.

<i>Guitar World</i> Monthly music magazine

Guitar World is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. Guitar World, the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original artist interviews and profiles, plus lessons/columns, gear reviews, news and exclusive tablature of three songs per issue. The magazine is published 13 times per year by Future plc. Damian Fanelli has been Guitar World's Editor-in-Chief since June 2018.

Daily Radar was a news aggregator and portal site for Future US's male-oriented content, including sports, film and television, and video games. Launched in October 1999, Daily Radar started as a gaming website like IGN, GameSpy and GameSpot, and was later renamed and relaunched in the UK as GamesRadar. The site was run by Imagine Media and consisted of many editors that contributed to Imagine's print publications. A victim of the dot-com bubble burst, Imagine closed Daily Radar in 2001, weeks shy of E3. The Washington Post later noted that Daily Radar was among multiple "popular video-game news sites" to close in 2001, alongside CNET Gamecenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Publishing</span> British magazine publisher

Dennis Publishing Ltd. was a British publisher. It was founded in 1973 by Felix Dennis. Its first publication was a kung-fu magazine. Most of its titles now belong to Future plc.

<i>PC Plus</i> Defunct UK computer magazine

PC Plus was a computer magazine published monthly from 1986 until September 2012 in the UK by Future plc. The magazine was aimed at intermediate to advanced PC users, computer professionals and enthusiasts. The magazine was specifically for users of PCs and related technologies so features articles were undiluted by coverage of other platforms. It began its life specifically as a magazine aimed at the Amstrad PC user.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future US</span> American media company, founded 1994

Future US, Inc. is an American media corporation specializing in targeted magazines and websites in the video games, music, and technology markets. Headquartered in New York City, the corporation has offices in: Alexandria, Virginia; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Washington, D.C. Future US is owned by parent company, Future plc, a specialist media company based in Bath, Somerset, England.

<i>Newsarama</i> American website based around comic books

Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by Future US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imagine Publishing</span> British magazine publisher

Imagine Publishing was a UK-based magazine publisher, which published a number of video games, computing, creative and lifestyle magazines.

<i>InStyle</i> Womens fashion magazine

InStyle is an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith, and started originally as a brand extension of People before carving out its own identity. In February 2022, it was announced that InStyle would cease print publications and move to a digital-only format.

<i>PlayStation Official Magazine – UK</i> Video game magazine

PlayStation Official Magazine – UK, generally abbreviated as OPM, was a magazine based in the United Kingdom that covered PlayStation news 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, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paragon Publishing</span> Magazine publisher in the United Kingdom

Paragon Publishing Ltd was a magazine publisher in the UK, which published computer games and other entertainment titles from 1991 to 2003.

GamesRadar+ is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites Total Film, SFX, Edge and Computer and Video Games were merged into GamesRadar, with the resulting, expanded website being renamed GamesRadar+ in November that year.

<i>Dark Mist</i> 2007 video game

Dark Mist is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Game Republic and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was released as a downloadable game on the PlayStation Store.

<i>360</i> (magazine) Xbox 360 video games magazine published by Imagine Publishing

360 was an Xbox 360 video games magazine published by Imagine Publishing in the UK. Originally published four-weekly, the magazine switched to a three-weekly schedule in 2009.

<i>TechRadar</i> Global technology news and reviews website

TechRadar is an online publication owned by Future plc and focused on technology. It has editorial teams in the US, UK and Australia and provides news and reviews of tech products and gadgets. It was launched in 2008 and expanded to the US in January 2012, holding a splashy launch party at the club Tao in The Venetian Hotel during the CES show in 2013. It further expanded to Australia in October of 2012. It was the largest consumer technology, news and review site from the UK as of 2013.

References

  1. "Read PLAY Australia magazine on Readly - the ultimate magazine subscription. 1000's of magazines in one app". nz.readly.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. "Play Celebrates 200th Issue In Style". Imagine Publishing. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  3. Shabana Arif (28 April 2016). "After 20 years Play magazine announces its last print issue". VG247. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  4. "Future acquires Imagine Publishing". www.inpublishing.co.uk. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  5. "Future plc launches new publication Play Magazine". Future. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  6. Dean, Ian (30 April 2021). "Welcome to PLAY: your new PlayStation magazine!". gamesradar. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  7. "Play Magazine | GamesRadar+". gamesradar. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  8. Blake, Vikki (2 October 2024). "Future shutters PlayStation-focused Play magazine". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2 October 2024.