''PSM3'' (short for ''PlayStation 3 Magazine'') was a

video game magazine Video game journalism is a branch of journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of video games, typically based on a core "reveal–preview–review" cycle. With the prevalence and rise of independent media online, online publicat ...

specializing in all

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally placed i ...

s and

handheld gaming A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...

platforms. It was published by

Future plc Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...

, a UK-based publishing company. The magazine launched in October 2000 under the name ''PSM2'' and quickly became one of the most popular unofficial PlayStation magazines on the market. It changed its name to ''PSM3'' in issue 78, focusing more on Sony's

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

, but still covering

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...

and

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

. In July 2011, ''PSM3'' underwent a redesign in an effort to appeal to the "needs of the modern, adult gamer." On 13 November 2012, it was announced that both ''PSM3'' and sister magazine Xbox World would be closed down by publisher Future. The final issue of both magazines went on sale on 12 December 2012.

Magazine team

PSM3 also had a number of regular freelance contributors, including writers from ''

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...

'', ''

PC Gamer ''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 ma ...

'' and ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''.

DVD

''PSM3s cover disc was popular with readers because of its reviews. Each month, the writers recorded a commentary – much like a director's commentary or a

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

– over footage of recently released games. In 2007, ''PSM3'' released a double sided disc. One side was the regular DVD and the other side consisted of high definition trailers of new games as well as screenshots and game saves, all of which can be transferred to a personal computer or PlayStation 3.

Blog

''PSM3'' had been running a blog since the middle of 2006. Initially it was run independently, but in early 2007 it became part of the CVG network, along with other Future games magazines, including ''

Xbox World ''Xbox World'' was a British Xbox and Xbox 360 magazine published by Future plc. History ''Xbox World 360'' began life as Xbox World, with issue one released in early 2003, over a year after the Xbox's release. Published by Computec Media, the ...

''.

The PlayStation 3 video

In 2006, through their blog, the ''PSM3'' team released YouTube videos of

being used in a non-controlled environment. The videos gained a vast amount of hits and were some of the most-viewed on YouTube. Sony quickly removed the footage but it has since been re-hosted by hundreds of other users. The blog was also noteworthy during PS3's Japanese launch; one of the freelance writers,

Joel Snape Joel Snape (born 28 February 1979) is an English author. He is the author of the Dylan Douglas series, described by the Daily Telegraph as having the "flavour of a junior Martin Amis."Akihabara is a common name for the area around Akihabara Station in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan. Administratively, the area called Akihabara mainly belongs to the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts in Chiyoda. There exists an administrative district ca ...

and blogged live using his laptop. He was second in line and was the second person in the world to buy a PS3 commercially.

Podcasts

On 21 June 2007 ''PSM3'' announced that they would be releasing a podcast and requested suggestions for topics of discussion. The release of the first podcast was praised by readers, and this led to a second podcast (released on 31 July 2007). Again, readers were given the chance to put forward questions. Both of the podcasts were more than an hour long. Many further podcasts were produced since then. In January 2013, the team produced their final episode and shared their thoughts in an emotional retrospective on 2012 and their history with PSM3. They signed off this episode by playing "I'm So Sorry" (from the game Portal 2).

References

External links

The official PSM3 blog
{{PlayStation 2000 establishments in the United Kingdom 2012 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Video game magazines published in the United Kingdom Defunct computer magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 2000 Magazines disestablished in 2012 PlayStation (brand) magazines