The U.S. Official PlayStation Magazine has finished putting Capcom’s latest survival horror romp through its paces, delivering their final verdict on the eagerly anticipated Resident Evil 5. So how did it fare?

In a massive seven-page review, OPM sings the praises of the latest entry in the epic saga of Resident Evil, paying particularly close attention to the refreshing mix of gameplay styles present, building upon what Capcom did in Resident Evil 4.

“One moment you’ll be blasting and hacking away at zombie mobs and face off against some seemingly invincible mini-boss in the midst of town, or you’ll be systematically exploring working your way through the dark, claustrophobic confines of a mine or the labyrinth corridors of a secret research complex, experience a brief but hair-raising quick-time event and be back to fighting zombies – but this time racing across the Savannah manning the chain gun on the back of a humvee.

They also praised the game’s co-op mode, calling the experience ” exactly the type of event you have to share with a buddy.”

So what’s the final score? A resounding 5 out of 5, starting off what is to become a flood of reviews leading up to the game’s release on an extremely positive note, comparing it to playing an Indiana Jones flick. Seriously?

First Resident Evil 5 review in [CVG]

We saw some fairly conclusive evidence last night that Kaz Hirai needs a good lie down. Today, though, we got some more, as the rest of his Official PlayStation Magazine interview hit the internet.

You’ll find two things of interest. Here’s one:

This is not meant in terms of numbers, or who’s got the biggest install base, or who’s selling most in any particular week or month, but I’d like to think that we continue official leadership in this industry.

And here’s another:

We don’t provide the ‘easy to program for’ console that [developers] want, because ‘easy to program for’ means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so then the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?

Shine on, Kaz, you crazy diamond.

Hirai: We’re the “official” industry leader [Eurogamer]

It’s 2006 all over again! Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai smacktalks the Xbox 360, but not the Nintendo Wii.

Let’s cut to the chase, here’s Kaz talking to the Official PlayStation Magazine:

It’s difficult to talk about Nintendo because we don’t look at their console as being competitors. They’re a different world and we operate in our world — that’s kind of the way I look at things…

And with the Xbox — again, I can’t come up with one word to fit. You need a word that describes something that lacks longevity… Last time I checked, they’ve never had a console that’s been on the market for more than four or five years and we’ve committed to a ten year life cycle, so you do the math…

And unless things go really bad, there’s no way that at the end of a life cycle our competition is going to have a higher install base.

Can’t come up with words that lack longevity, huh. How about temporal? Ephemeral? Short-lived? Brief? Fleeting? Transient? Fleeting? Evanescent?

Hirai: Xbox “lacks longevity” [CVG] [Pic]

According to ITJ, the split is effective immediately, which means there’s just one more issue of Official Xbox 360 Magazine in the pipeline from the publisher. After that, it’s unclear how the magazine will transition back to its original owners or whether it’s appearance on shelves will continue uninterrupted. On the bright side, I’ve heard that Derwent Howard will retain OXM’s staff for a new Xbox 360-themed magazine.

Keeping with the industry gossip (dominated recently by the comedic antics of the phantom of the Internet), Derwent Howard’s new Nintendo games mag hit newsstands yesterday. Look out for a Lego Indiana Jones on the cover. IGN Australia also has a new Editor-in-Chief, in the form of ex-Official Playstation Magazine editor Narayan Pattison, after Bennett Ring’s recent departure to the world of mobiles.

Future, publisher’s of the UK version of OPM, also managed to snag Rob Smith, former editor-in-chief of PSM, to run their new mag. The first edition of the 13-issue-a-year magazine will hit in late November with a 300,000 circulation run.

“Future US has a strong heritage delivering cutting-edge insight into the industry, and we are looking forward to a long standing relationship to deliver unrivaled exclusive content to PlayStation fans,” said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President, Marketing and PLAYSTATION(R)Network, SCEA. “We’re very excited to be working with a group that is nearly as passionate about our brand as we are ourselves and we look forward to working with Future on many
innovative ideas they have to create a best in class enthusiast publication.”

The fact that PSM UK seems to be doing quite fine overseas leads me to believe that maybe Ziff-Davis’ retreat from the pub was more about their financial stability than the well-being of the magazine itself.Sony Computer Entertainment America and Future US Announce the Creation of
‘PlayStation(R): The Official Magazine’

Future US to Publish First Monthly Issue in Time for Holidays

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and Future US, Inc, the leading publisher of cutting-edge special interest magazines and websites, today announced that they have agreed to terms to publish PlayStation(R): The Official Magazine. The first full Future US-published issue of PlayStation(R): The Official Magazine will be the Holiday 2007 edition, on sale in late November. The initial circulation will be 300,000 copies and the frequency will be 13 issues per year. Future US will produce and oversee all the editorial and advertising sales for the magazine.
PlayStation(R): The Official Magazine will be the definitive news, previews and reviews publication for PlayStation(R) enthusiasts and users. It will offer users unprecedented access to the world of PlayStation and product special features made possible by the magazines’ exclusive relationship with SCEA. Rob Smith, formerly editor-in-chief of PSM-Independent PlayStation Magazine, will be the new editor-in-chief of PlayStation(R): The Official Magazine. Future US’ parent company, international special-interest media company Future plc, publishes Official Sony PlayStation Magazine in the United Kingdom and licenses it in numerous other countries.
“Future US has a strong heritage delivering cutting-edge insight into the industry, and we are looking forward to a long standing relationship to deliver unrivaled exclusive content to PlayStation fans,” said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President, Marketing and PLAYSTATION(R)Network, SCEA. “We’re very excited to be working with a group that is nearly as passionate about our brand as we are ourselves and we look forward to working with Future on many
innovative ideas they have to create a best in class enthusiast publication.”
“We are enormously pleased to be selected to publish the Official title for one of the world’s great entertainment brands,” said Simon Whitcombe, Publishing Director, Future US. “Future’s international heritage is as a PlayStation publisher. PSM sold more than 40 million copies over its lifetime and we have published the Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK since 1995. We’re honored that SCEA recognises the excellence and experience that we can
bring to the licence and to PlayStation fans all over the world.”