NEED ASSISTANCE: Looking for a '95-'96 era Playstation Magazine

[AsteroidBlues]

I've been working with EVIL-WEBBY in order to find a particular issue of "Official Playstation Magazine UK" known as OPM, though we're not sure which one. Here is what we know, and what you can help us with.

EVIL-WEBBY is quite certain that in one of these issues, there is an article regarding an alleged earlier build of RE2 that took place in space.

What we know:

*We've narrowed the suspect list down, and the article we are seeking is most likely between issue #1-#17

*The magazine we are looking for is actually a copy of "Playstation Essential", Which was sold separately in the UK, but bundled with OPM-UK in other European countries

*The cover of "Playstation Essential" more than likely has a hologram card-style cover featuring Metal Gear Solid- but it IS possible that it is in another issue of Playstation Essential

It's nearly impossible to find information on these early issues of OPM and the extra Playstation Essential issues. We're asking around a few Retro magazine forums for more information, but we need someone to ask around on the Official Playstation Magazine UK forums. If you think you can help with this, PM me and I'll give you the details.

[Rombie]

I have some of them myself, but they're in a box at my parents place half way across the country here... so sadly I'm not much help further personally... But they used to be online at RetroMags.com but sadly they were hosted on MegaUpload and so they were gone when the US Govt forced the MU site offline. You could try asking on their forums there to see if anyone can search or reup the content.

[AsteroidBlues]

I have some of them myself, but they're in a box at my parents place half way across the country here... so sadly I'm not much help further personally... But they used to be online at RetroMags.com but sadly they were hosted on MegaUpload and so they were gone when the US Govt forced the MU site offline. You could try asking on their forums there to see if anyone can search or reup the content.

Yeah, we already have the Archive of magazine covers from Retromags and outofprintarchive. They don't have a full collection of magazines between those years and are missing the "Playstation Essential" covers

[News Bot]

Very curious on this myself.

[AsteroidBlues]

Very curious on this myself.

Then could we obtain assistance from you, sir? We need someone to bum around on the Playstation Magazine UK forums and ask around. The forum over there says EVIL-WEBBY's email is related to spam or some cockamamie, and my attempts don't even go through.

[mpx]

Did you found something?

Here are my observations:

Japan release date for BioHazard was March 22, 1996 and in Europe Resident Evil was released on August 1, 1996. Official UK PlayStation magazine has review in issue 8 (July 1996).

Is it possible that from April to June 1996. there was rumors for this space version in some magazines?

BioHazard 2 was first officialy announcend on when the first footage was shown at the V Jump Festival '96 in July.

If this picture and informations are from late 1996/1997 period maybe there is mistranslation or Capcom had idea for original new space game based on scrapped BioHazard 2 cosmos scenario? And magazine mistake it as new Resident Evil game in space.

[EVIL-WEBBY]

Ok an update on this, iv tracked down the Publishers of Playstation Essential and Someones given me the number of the editoral team, so hopefully they have backups of the mag on file and can dig it out for us...

The only problem is iv got no landline atm so cant call. but if someone else from the UK wants to call and document the discussion then feel free

Thank you for your recent email.

I unfortunately have to advise I am unable to help with your enquiry please contact the editorial team on 01225 442244 who will be able to assist.

If there is anything else that I can help you with please don’t hesitate to contact me.

For and on behalf of Future Publishing

im 100% sure what we're looking for is "The cover of Playstation Essential with a hologram card-style cover featuring Metal Gear Solid" that has the artical of RE in Space.

mpx - no mistake, the dates iv gave when talking about it are rough off the top of my head, there was no Biohazard/Resident Evil sqeual news out at the time.

[Deathlygasm]

I myself would love a pdf scan of gameinformer or any magazine from this era having to do with Resident Evil

[EVIL-WEBBY]

anyone from the UK want to help?

[mpx]

I think that I solve the mystery

Mysterious Resident Evil in space can be picture from early Run Like Hell build.

Here is first sentence from wikipedia: The gameplay in RLH is most similar to that of the later titles in the Resident Evil series, with the player controlling a character from a third-person perspective.

According to Brian Freyermuth, the lead designer of Run Like Hell,[4] the production did not go smoothly. During its five year run, the team went through two executive producers, three producers, three lead programmers and two lead artists. They started out with the idea of a Resident Evil in space, but this was changed abruptly by upper management from survival horror to an action game. The aliens were weakened and made more numerous. In the end the game was scrapped by management again and restarted ten months before the release date. Thus, the game's actual programming was done in the space of ten months even though the game was in development for five years, which is one of the reasons that the story and characters seem fleshed out whereas the game play seems rushed and incomplete.

So this game was 5 year in development hell - 1996 or 1997 development started - game was released in 2002. for PS2 and Xbox. EU release was in 2003. and JP in 2004. Capcom was publisher in Japan.

Its possible that magazine mistake it as Resident Evil game or this is false memories and in article is written that this game similar to RE 2 in space.

[Graco]

Nice find.

[Rombie]

Ah, nice thinking.... that is quite a possibility. I remember Run Like Hell when it launched, looked a lot like Aliens... they even got Lance Hendrikson in to be the voice for the main character, and other well known actors like Clancy Brown, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Ironside, Brad Dourif and Biff himself Thomas F. Wilson. I think it may actually be one of the earliest full "Hollywood" castings for a game. It wasn't that bad an idea though, and in someways it predicted where even Resident Evil would go a couple of years later...