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Launch Editor

Dave Perry

Company

Paragon Publishing
Imagine Publishing
Future Publishing

ISSN

1358-9474

First Date

November 1995

Final Date

Still Going

Total Issues

281

Play published its final issue in April 2016 (Issue 269) although it did have more issues that were digital only. However, on May 4th 2021, Play was relaunched after Future lost the official Sony licence for Official PlayStation Magazine, with staff from OPM working on the relaunched Play instead. Numbering was reset at #1 for June 2021's issue.

See here for a Gallery of front covers.

Editors[]

Dave Perry

Nick Roberts

Damian Butt

Ryan Butt

Graeme Nicholson

Steve Takle

Nick Jones

Keith Hennessey

Ryan King

Rick Porter

Samuel Roberts

Luke Albiges

Nick Roberts

Writers[]

Please see here for a list of people who are credited with writing articles or reviews in Play.

Stats[]

Circulation Figures[]

Year Jan-Jun Jul-Dec
1995 25,424
1996 27,678 30,338
1997 36,925 47,432
1998 71,153 91,750
1999 76,528 89,614
2000 76,535
2001 71,426
2002 58,553
2003 57,060
2004 54,109
2005 46,567 53,102
2006 29,086
2007
2008
2009 24,062
2010 21,735
2011 15,693
2012 10,065
2013 7,668

Reviews[]

List of Play Reviews here.

Issue Games Reviewed Average Score Highest Score Highest Scoring Game Lowest Score Lowest Scoring
1 28 77% 95% Tekken 38% Novastorm
2 18 70% 92% Lone Soldier 37% King of Bowling
3 10 76% 93% Doom 50% Hyper Formation Soccer
4 14 81% 94% Actua Soccer 67% Cyberia
5 14 80% 94% Total NBA '96 65% Kileak: The Blood 2
6 16 80% 95% Adidas Power Soccer 64% Zero Divide
7 11 74% 95% Tekken 2 49% Hyper Crazy Climber
8
9 11 77% 90% Fade to Black, Sampras Extreme Tennis 50% Cheesy
10 10 76% 90% Pro Pinball 56% Skeleton Warriors
197 20 75% 93% Vanquish 29% Quantum Theory
198 21 72% 94% BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 36% Saw II: Flesh & Blood
205 8 72% 95% Portal 2 42% Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive
206 12 68% 91% L.A. Noire 38% Thor: God of Thunder
207 15 65% 88% Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition 20% Kung Fu Panda 2
208 16 62% 81% Puzzle Dimension 30% Call of Juarez: The Cartel
209 9 74% 92% Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike 49% Rugby World Cup 2011
210 16 72% 94% Ico and the Shadow of the Colossus Collection 50% Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer
211 20 70% 94% Batman: Arkham City 35% X-Men: Destiny
212 93% The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 38% Spider-Man: Edge of Time
224 16 72% 94% XCOM: Enemy Unknown 37% Double Dragon Neon
225 18 70% 95% Need for Speed: Most Wanted 32% Silent Hill: Book of Memories
226 6 74% 88% Far Cry 3 55% Epic Mickey 2
227 11 69% 93% DmC (Devil May Cry) 18% Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified
228 4 83% 94% Persona 4 Golden 70% Dead Space 3
229 15 65% 90% Tomb Raider,
God of War: Ascension
40% Aliens: Colonial Marines,
Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires
230 9 73% 97% BioShock Infinite 55% Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
231 13 66% 92% The Walking Dead 20% The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct
232 9 76% 94% The Last of Us 55% Poker Night 2
281 4 6.3 8 Toukiden 2 5 Mass Effect: Andromeda
282 9 7.1 8 Little Nightmares, Outlast 2, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Shiness: The Ligtning Kingdom, Statik 5 Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3, The Sexy Brutale

Other Info[]

Issue Cover Date Release Date Pages Price Editor / Deputy Ed. Publisher
1 November 1995 19 October 1995 100 £2.95 Dave Perry Paragon
2 December 1995 16 November 1995 100 £2.95 Dave Perry Paragon
3 January 1996 14 December 1995 £2.95 Dave Perry Paragon
4 February 1996 18 January 1996 100 £2.95 Dave Perry Paragon
5 March 1996 21 February 1996 100 £2.95 Nick Roberts Paragon
6 Easter 1996 28 March 1996 100 £2.95 Nick Roberts Paragon
7 May 1996 25 April 1996 100 £2.95 Nick Roberts & Damian Butt Paragon
8 June 1996 23 May 1996 Paragon
9 July 1996 June 1996 100 £2.95 Damian Butt Paragon
10 August 1996 18 July 1996 100 £2.95 Damian Butt Paragon
11 15 August 1996
205 N/A 12 May 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
206 N/A 9 June 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
207 N/A 7 July 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
208 N/A 4 August 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
209 N/A 1 September 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
210 N/A 29 September 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
211 N/A 27 October 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
212 N/A 24 November 2011 116 £4.99 Ryan King Imagine
213 N/A 22 December 2011
224 N/A 25 October 2012 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
225 N/A 22 November 2012 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
226 N/A 20 December 2012 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
227 N/A 17 January 2013 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
228 N/A 14 February 2013 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
229 N/A 14 March 2013 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
230 N/A 18 April 2013 100 £4.99 Samuel Roberts Imagine
231 N/A 23 May 2013 100 £4.99 Luke Albiges Imagine
232 N/A 20 June 2013 100 £4.99 Luke Albiges Imagine
233 N/A 18 July 2013
281 N/A 27 April 2017 70 Luke Albiges Future
282 N/A 25 May 2017 70 Luke Albiges Future

Issue Index[]

Play Index
Date Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Xmas
1995                     Cover missing
1
Cover missing
2
 
1996 Cover missing
3
Cover missing
4
Cover missing
5
Cover missing
6
Cover missing
7
Cover missing
8
Cover missing
9
Cover missing
10
Cover missing
11
Cover missing
12
Cover missing
13
Cover missing
14
Cover missing
15
1997   Cover missing
16
Cover missing
17
Cover missing
18/19
Cover missing
20
Cover missing
21
Cover missing
22
Cover missing
23
Cover missing
24
Cover missing
25
Cover missing
26
Cover missing
27
Cover missing
28
1998 Cover missing
29
Cover missing
30/31
Cover missing
32
Cover missing
33
Cover missing
34
Cover missing
35
Cover missing
36
Cover missing
37
Cover missing
38
Cover missing
39
Cover missing
40
Cover missing
41
Cover missing
42
1999 Cover missing
43
Cover missing
44/45
Cover missing
46
Cover missing
47
Cover missing
48
Cover missing
49
Cover missing
50
Cover missing
51
Cover missing
52
Cover missing
53
Cover missing
54
Cover missing
55
Cover missing
56
2000 Cover missing
57
Cover missing
58/59
Cover missing
60
Cover missing
61
Cover missing
62
Cover missing
63
Cover missing
64
Cover missing
65
Cover missing
66
Cover missing
67
Cover missing
68
Cover missing
69
Cover missing
70
2001 Cover missing
71
Cover missing
72/73
Cover missing
74
Cover missing
75
Cover missing
76
Cover missing
77
Cover missing
78
Cover missing
79
Cover missing
80
Cover missing
81
Cover missing
82
Cover missing
83
Cover missing
84
2002 Cover missing
85
Cover missing
86
Cover missing
87
Cover missing
88
Cover missing
89
Cover missing
90
Cover missing
91
Cover missing
92
Cover missing
93
Cover missing
94
Cover missing
95
Cover missing
96
Cover missing
97
2003 Cover missing
98
Cover missing
99
Cover missing
100
Cover missing
101
Cover missing
102
Cover missing
103
Cover missing
104
Cover missing
105
Cover missing
106
Cover missing
107
Cover missing
108
Cover missing
109
Cover missing
110
2004 Cover missing
111
Cover missing
112
Cover missing
113
Cover missing
114
Cover missing
115
Cover missing
116
Cover missing
117
Cover missing
118
Cover missing
119
Cover missing
120
Cover missing
121
Cover missing
122
Cover missing
123
2005 Cover missing
124
Cover missing
125
Cover missing
126
Cover missing
127
Cover missing
128
Cover missing
129
Cover missing
130
Cover missing
131
Cover missing
132
Cover missing
133
Cover missing
134
Cover missing
135
Cover missing
136
2006 Cover missing
137
    Cover missing
138
Cover missing
139
Cover missing
140
Cover missing
141
Cover missing
142
Cover missing
143
Cover missing
144
Cover missing
145
Cover missing
146
Cover missing
147
2007 Cover missing
148
Cover missing
149
Cover missing
150
Cover missing
151
Cover missing
152
Cover missing
153
Cover missing
154
Cover missing
155
Cover missing
156
Cover missing
157
Cover missing
158
Cover missing
159
Cover missing
160
2008 Cover missing
161
Cover missing
162
Cover missing
163
Cover missing
164
Cover missing
165
Cover missing
166
Cover missing
167
Cover missing
168
Cover missing
169
Cover missing
170
Cover missing
171
Cover missing
172
Cover missing
173
2009 Cover missing
174
Cover missing
175
Cover missing
176
Cover missing
177
Cover missing
178
Cover missing
179
Cover missing
180
Cover missing
181
Cover missing
182
Cover missing
183
Cover missing
184
Cover missing
185
Cover missing
186
2010 Cover missing
187
Cover missing
188
Cover missing
189
Cover missing
190
Cover missing
191
Cover missing
192
Cover missing
193
Cover missing
194
Cover missing
195
Cover missing
196
Cover missing
197
Cover missing
198
Cover missing
199
2011 Cover missing
200
Cover missing
201
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202
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203
Cover missing
204
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205
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206
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207
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208
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209
Cover missing
210
Cover missing
211
Cover missing
212
2012 Cover missing
213
Cover missing
214
Cover missing
215
Cover missing
216
Cover missing
217
Cover missing
218
Cover missing
219
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220
Cover missing
221
Cover missing
222
Cover missing
223
Cover missing
224
Cover missing
225
2013 Cover missing
226
Cover missing
227
Cover missing
228
Cover missing
229
Cover missing
230
Cover missing
231
Cover missing
232
Cover missing
233
Cover missing
234
Cover missing
235
Cover missing
236
Cover missing
237
Cover missing
238
2014 Cover missing
239
Cover missing
240
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241
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242
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243
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244
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245
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246
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247
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248
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Cover missing
251
2015 Cover missing
252
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253
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254
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255
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256
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257
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258
Cover missing
259
Cover missing
260
Cover missing
261
Cover missing
262
Cover missing
263
Cover missing
264
2016 Cover missing
265
Cover missing
266
Cover missing
267
Cover missing
268
Cover missing
269
Cover missing
270
Cover missing
271
Cover missing
272
Cover missing
273
Cover missing
274
Cover missing
275
Cover missing
276
 
2017 Cover missing
277
Cover missing
278
Cover missing
279
Cover missing
280
Cover missing
281
Cover missing
282
Cover missing
283
Cover missing
284
Cover missing
285
Cover missing
286
Cover missing
287
Cover missing
288
 
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