The Official Xbox Magazine [1-year] Reviews

• What You Get is What You Get

  
  By A1M4NJYP0WNL8Q on 2004-02-10
  The Xbox world continues to perplex me. While it is clearly the best game console from the viewpoint of its capabilities, only a small group of developers really push the envelope and produce truly memorable graphics. Several genre of games, such as RPGs, are rarities on this platform. Other genre, such as sports, are almost over represented. Part of this is due to the newness of the Xbox, which is only now entering into general acceptance. But most of the blame for this quirkiness is due to Microsoft's lack of a pervasive vision. Compare instead Sony's commitment to the PS2.

  In a way the Official Xbox Magazine is representative of this confusion. While the coverage is good, writing tends to be lackluster. The layout is just busy enough to be distracting. And it's a tad on the thin side. Yet this is just about the only production Xbox magazine except for those that cover multiple platforms. One would think that the publishers would take advantage of this position, but they do not.

  In direct contrast to this 'just enough' style of print publication, the accompanying DVD is the best I've seen. It has a few articles, downloads, saved games, trailers, and several playable demos on each DVD. This may sound trivial, but it is all so nicely packaged with a plastic case that was made for passing around or reuse. Unfortunately for magazine circulation, I can see a group of players getting together to buy the magazine and passing the DVD around. Hopefully, this is the intent. In any case, to get full value, you must by this with the demo disc. Anything else will be disappointing.

  Frankly, you don't have much choice. As I've said, the effort is acceptable, just not brilliant. If you want a journal dedicated to developments for Xbox then this is what you get. If you are interested in a better grade of articles (and no DVD) then there are several multi-platform publications that I think you will find more useful.
  
  

• ...

  
  By A1BVIANDXCX7RW on 2002-02-05
  I have a subscription to this magazine which comes with the demo disc. The magazine itself is great. Typical of all Imagine publications, there is quite a bit of humor to be found in the mag. The screenshots are clear, the writers are knowledgeable about XBOX technology and the reviews are generally right on. When they rate a game, they aren't afraid to be honest and this has saved me some money from buying games that I THOUGHT looked good, but turned out to be pretty bad. Let's face it, new games are $50 and that's no small sum for anyone.

  If you own an XBOX or are thinking of buying one, this should be required reading for you.
  
  

• Great, But No Game Disc

  
  By on 2001-12-02
  My 3 star rating has less to do with the magazine itself than the fact that I ordered this subscription after reading that the magazines would include the XBox game disc. I was excited that I had found such a great deal, mainly because the price is about half what I saw it going for everywhere else. But days after my order, I got an email saying that the descriptions were wrong, and there would be no game disc included. I cancelled my subscription and I'll probably just end up paying the extra money to get the subscription that includes the demos.
  
  

• make sure you get a subscription with a disc!

  
  By A3E1B2HRRCHU0B on 2002-12-11
  If you've got a 'BOX (and why would you be subscribing to this mag if you didn't?) DON'T get the subscription without the disc. somebody got me the subscription from here as a gift, and i have to occaisionaly go out and buy a second copy of the mag just so i can get the disc! (hello, splinter cell demo!)

  The magazine itself is a wicked great read; all of the editors have distinctly cool personalities and game preferences. In the year that i've been reading, i've gotten to know all of their gaming preferences and feel i can trust their reviews of the games i'm looking for advice on.

  to sum up my feelings on the magazine: i'm always excited when i get a new one, i always read it from cover to cover, i'm always sad when i finish the last page, i'm always waiting for the next one, and i've never been disappointed.
  
  

• NO DISK????!!!

  
  By A3JDKCT7O084I5 on 2001-12-03
  WARNING!! I was just notified by Amazon that this subscription does not include the disc that usually comes with this magazine when you buy it at the newstand. Getting this disk and being able to play the upcoming game demos on it was one of my main reasons for subscribing. Needless to say, I have cancelled my subscripton here and will be finding this magazine elsewhere.
  
  
• NO DEMO DISC! Trust me, this is for the magazine only
  By A1HKNY5Q9RJGAU on 2007-06-24
  Here's the deal, I purchased this subscription thinking "[PRINT + DVD]" was actually TRUE. My first issue just came with NO DEMO DISC, and after calling Future (the subscription service provider) I was informed that the only way to get the Demo Disc is to either pay an extra dollar per issue over the phone, or have my amazon subscription canceled, and a new one started directly through them. Of course you have to pay again, and wait 4-6 weeks for a refund check for the original subscription.
  
  In summary:
  
  1 year subscription of magazine from Amazon = $24.95
  
  1 year subscription of magazine AND DEMO DISC from Official Xbox Magizine website = $24.95
  
  You fail Amazon
  
  
• An Excellent Magazine With or/ Without The Disk...
  By A3E0MSKBIWMU6F on 2003-10-19
  The PS2 has sold over 30 million units (or so) as of late....

  The XBOX has sold close to 11 million units as of late...

  Q: Yet do you know which magazine (official PS2 or XBOX magazine) has more subscribers?

  A: Official XBOX Magazine (OXM) does, with over 400,000 subscribers.

  Q: Do you know why so many people subscribe to this magazine?

  A: Because it has excellent reviews, great articles, fair- unbiased opinions about all systems, up-to-date news, and accurate rumors about what to expect in the near future...

  Here's what I thought of OXM, the OFFICIAL XBOX Magazine, after a 12-week subscribtion....

  1) The columns: First off, these magazines are PACKED with information about not only the XBOX (mostly), but just gaming in general... Interviews, reviews, previews, rumors, specials, tips, etc... Its all here, all about XBOX. We recently found out (officially) that Grand Theft Auto and GTA: Vice City are coming out for the XBOX...

  If your read OXM a few months ago, GTA was reported to be coming to XBOX in a 2-game package...

  Months before HALO 2 was announced for the XBOX, OXM predicted informed us of it in an earlier issue...

  I was low on cash, and didn't have the money to rent a lot of games that "looked" good.

  Weeks later, I noticed that the games that I bought and were reccomended by OXM were great, and the ones I tried that OXM dismissed...were average to bad games, and were not worth my cash...

  My point in all this is that this magazine is full of people who know what they're talking about. Experienced gamers who have accurate sources, and get the info out to us, is what OXM is all about. They have accurate ratings on games, know their rumors, and really get you excited about not just XBOX, but gaming in general, as they tell you about some of the things they get to experience, sometiems YEARS before people like us will see them.

  Creative, fun, and accurate (and with a good sense of humor), OXM is a great magazine, and definantly worth my fifteen dollars...

  2) Reviews/Previews: This magazine reviews 30-40 games a week, and previews at least 10 games. ANd the reviews are for the most part accurate and well done. Most reviews have 7-8 articles of real info, real opinions, and real descriptions of the game. If you can't rent it, this is the next best thing. They gave HALO-Splinter Cell-DOA3 all 9.0-10 scores, and they were all fantastic games. Other games like NFL Blitz 2003, Obi-wan, and Crash Bandicoot, they gave lower scores of 6-8.5, which I agreed with as well.

  These guys know what they're doing, and actually play these games thoroughly before writing the reviews.

  As for the previews, we were hearing information about Splinter Cell, DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, Amped 2, and Project Gotham Racing 2 months before they hit the shelves...

  These guys (and girls) play these anticipated games, or at least early demos of the game, months before they're released, and get the information out so you can start saving up. An excellent magazine, OXM has prepared me and steered me away from a number of games, and just keeps on doing it...

  3) Interviews: Almost every issue of this magazine has interesting interviews with makers of dozens of games. They talked with Ubi-Soft about Splinter Cell, RARE about being bought and joining the XBOX team, Bungie when they announced HALO 2, Microsoft XBOX employees about the future of XBOX and current plans... They got the scoop on XBOX Live almost immediatly after the XBOX was released...( months before it came out) These guys are weaved into the gaming world, and give people like me abd u a little bit of where gaming is headed, and of what's to come...

  4) Hints and Tips: Another thing this magazine has is a ton of great hints and tips. Beleive it or not, the people who write about and give us the scoop on all these great games coming to XBOX, are also gamers themselves...and they are good ones too! And every issue, they give you step-by-step tips to dozens of great games. In the past, they've helped us with LOTR: Two Towers, Splinter Cell, HALO, BMX XXX, etc... When you hit a wall in a game, OXM just might be the ones to bring that wall down...

  5) Opinions: This magazine, last but not least, is full of great opinions from not only xpert gamers and XBOX fans like these writers. But every issue has letters sent to OXM, with XBOX gamers asking questions or stating opinions, and OXM responding to them. Curious about what fellow XBOX gamers are thinking about? This magazine brings your dozens of opinions every week... Very interesting read!

  Overall, this magazine is just incredible. When comparing it to other magazines, OXM just has a style to it that others lack. With it's accurate info, great articles, in depth hints, and just love of gaming, OXM is a winner, and for fifteen bucks, a must have for any XBOX gamer...

  Oh, and if your wondering if I'll be renewing my subscribtion (mine ends next month), the answer is a definate yes.

  Thx!

  obryanstars*
  
  

• Good Magazine But No Demo Discs
  By on 2001-12-04
  I enjoy the magazine but.....FYI - this magazine does NOT include the demo discs with each issue. (...)
  
  
• Poor service
  By A2O0RDIU99VYLI on 2005-09-14
  First off, we never received the magazine until 5 months after ordered!!! We have only received one or two issues. Extremely Poor Service, and why get the magazine with out the disc??? I wanted to get my husband a present for Christmas, not expecting something so poor to be offered through Amazon!!!!
  
  Very displeased in PA!!
  
  
• not worth a penny without the disc
  By on 2001-12-06
  who wants the mag without the playable demos? save your money.
  
  
• No demo disk
  By AWF9HRJPQH8UR on 2002-04-19
  I'm a mom who didn't know about the demo disk that does not come with this subscription. My son is very disappointed with this subscription through Amazon, and he ends up buying the store copy just for the demo disk.
  
  
• Above average magazine
  By A3CCD0NXM11WPY on 2002-06-28
  I currently subscribe to the official X-Box magazine and couldn't be happier with it. They have a lot of exclusive features and stuff that the other magazines can't offer. The screenshots are of the highest quality and the articles are well written and informative. However, what makes this magazine SOO great is the demo disc you get each month. Go out and buy a copy of this magazine. You'll get a subscription card and you can subscribe to a year of the magazine for only 25 bucks including the discs. Thats a great deal.
  
  
• Lame!
  By A1T3CTSM0B3IZA on 2004-04-13
  The first rule I learned in Journalism 101 (shortly before dropping the class) was "Always remain objective". At OXM, editors and writers alike check thier objectivity at the door.

  OXM is a nicely laid out magazine. Unfortunatley it's content is very weak. When I read a video game magazine I want it to first be informative. While OXM is "informative", it's the XBox "attitude" that gets in the way. The editorial and writing staff try so hard to be hip, cool and edgey that they come across as a joke. If you read in between the pot shots taken at Sony and the PS2 there is some relevant information. But it tends to get lost amidst the puns and attempts at being humorous.

  The second thing I want from a magazine, are objective opinions. With OXM, objectivity goes out the window. Though most games that are reviewed are pretty informative, often times a mediocre game will score significantly higher than in other game magazines. Which makes me wonder exactly who is writing these reviews. Also, every issue is loaded with countless digs at Sony and Nintendo. After the first few pages it becomes childish and unamusing.

  The saving grace of the magazine is the demo disc. On it you can get some downloads including bonus levels for some games. Unfortunatley it's not included here.

  Considering the content of this magazine, I'd recomend picking it up on an issue by issue basis depending on what is included in the demo disc. For a better all around objectively written game magazine, I'd recomend Game Informer.
  
  

• No Demo Disc
  By on 2002-01-15
  Beware you only get the magazine which is fine, but you want the demo disc. Pay the full subscription price and get the disc. I messed up and thought it came with it, but it did not.
  Go direct to Image media and update your subcription.
  
  
• But why?
  By A173CRAABI79II on 2002-06-15
  Isn't the point of getting this mag for that demo CD? Why would you want to save 10 bucks not to get the CD?
  
  
• Whats the point?
  By on 2001-12-10
  The whole point of this magazine is the Cover disk. I can get all the Xbox info I need from [website]- I just need the cover DVD for the samples of the games - right?

  Well, in this case, there is no cover disk.
  
  

• Like a box of CrackerJack without the prize...
  By A10MH3OBX7DBEY on 2002-01-21
  This is a perfectly good magazine, in fact its very informative and fun -- lots of good game information and items about the X-Box hardware. But the demo disc is a very important addition. It is the best way to sample games before you spend your hard-earned money on them.

  Get the subscription WITH the disc...
  
  

• Mag. Content Okay, Disk Content Great
  By A3BO1VM9CSCWW1 on 2002-10-28
  As the other reviewers have noted, the real value of this magazine is the disk. There have been many games I thought I wanted to buy, only to be severely disappointed by the demo. The money you shell out for the disk will pay for itself in games you don't buy after playing the demos. As for the magazine itself, it is useful and entertaining. You have to read through the bias though. Remember, they work for Microsoft.
  
  
• Uh, where's the disc? Pretty good magazine.
  By A30BDYOKZ7H141 on 2004-04-22
  It's a great magazine, with the disc. You get reviews, previews, world exclusive articles, and so much more. Then, you (would) get the disc. Ahhh...the demo disc. I'd pay about $20 a year just for it alone. But, this stupid thing doesn't come with it. I would have given it about 3.5 stars if I could, but I figured that the magazine saves it (almost). But, let's talk about the actual magazine. It has truthful opinions from reviewers with an attitude, who know their stuff. It tells you what games you need to buy, what ones you could buy, and what games to stay away from. Also, you get to preview games that haven't been released yet, and will be released some time in the future. Then, you read their articles, which are fun. Although some are more entertaining than others, they're still good. The layout of the magazine is good, and the witty jokes at the bottom of the page are interesting and sometimes hillarious. Except, here, there's no disc. The disc gives you great demos that I've played for HOURS before. If I were you, I would get the magazine somewhere else, WITH the disc.

  Grade:
  With Disc: A
  Without Disc: B (A low B)
  
  

• You cant go wrong with the Official XBOX Magazine!
  By ANYAZRP9U31QK on 2001-11-09
  Brought to you by the same people who do PCgamer, XBOX magazine is the way to go if your an XBOX owner. And if you are, how can you say no to 15 bucks for 12 issues?! ... The jokes are hilarious, they have the best review system around, and have been in the business for a while.
  
  
  
• Misrepresented
  By on 2002-02-03
  Like the other reviewers have noted, the fine folks who first posted this item conveniently neglected to mention the disc wasn't included. Without it, the magazine is not worth the money.
  
  
• No disk?!
  By A2U1LT8J0TSJGM on 2002-11-20
  This is a great magazine, and well worth the money. It has great articles and reviews.

  HOWEVER, why would any sane person subscribe to this with out the disk? The extra few bucks are worth having the demo disk every month. Don't waste your time with out the disk, go to the horse's mouth, spend the extra few bucks, and get it with the demo disk!
  
  

• No Disc, are you KIDDING ME?
  By A1NYNFGTRC5RCX on 2002-11-22
  .
  What's next, a car without an engine? Nice to look at but... 8P
  .
  
  
• Above Average for the genre - which is not saying much!
  By A2WJXY1G4P4MWC on 2001-11-06
  A great entry into the world of interactive entertainment - and the disc makes it a no-brainer for those that own the system. It is quite obviousely geared at a more mature audience (say 18-25) then the typical kiddy mags in this genre. This genre (videogame mags) is quite weak however, with lame jokes, abusive editors and a target market often in the teens. This is above average for the genre, more intelligent, well organized, informative. However when the competition is so weak ... that's not saying much.
  
  
• Be careful
  By A17XNOIT79U9P9 on 2001-12-07
  Be careful before you buy this. If you are wanting the demo discs with it then this is not it. This subscription does not include the demo discs, but it is a good strictly xbox magazine. If you want the demo discs go to the xbox website to order.
  
  
• Without the demo disc....
  By A334QF23IXN7UQ on 2002-01-04
  The magazine is ok but the fact that the demo disc is excluded make this a waste, better off getting the subscriptiion direct and receiving the disc.
  
  
• No Disc? You've Gotta Be Kidding
  By ACCUPJZUVRNT1 on 2002-09-23
  Half of the reason to get the Official Xbox Magazine is because of the demo disc. Unlike the Official PS Magazine or Nintendo Power (Official magazines for their respective consoles), the official Xbox magazine provides very little in terms of magazine content. Just one or two short articles, some previews and reviews. So what is the magazines saving grace? The demo disc. So when you subscribe, find an offer so that you get the disc.
  
  
• Unimpressed
  By on 2001-11-08
  Lame writing, everything they've said so far is predictable, and half of it sounds like it was written by the games' publishers as an ad.
  
  
• Great content ...
  By A3IWNBTSP6X6UG on 2001-11-13
  It's refreshing to see a new gaming magazine, that claims to be unbiased and for the gamer. The November and December issues were great. There rating scale is on a 1-10. They've got exclusive reviews and information. A must for every Xbox owner
  
  
• It Just hits the mark!
  By A3NNVCTFPUK28 on 2001-11-13
  This Mag is just great. ... It has great non bias reviews, full of whit and humor. My only gripe is they have not put a big enough picture (yet) of the VERY beautiful associate art director juliann Brown. MORE OF HER PLEASE GUYS!!!!!
  
  

• PlayStation: The Official Magazine (1-year)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
• PC Gamer (1-year)
• BioShock
• Wired (1-year)