Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) was a monthly video game magazine that began in November 2001, around the time the original Xbox was released. A preview issue was published at E3 2001, and another preview issue was released in November 2001. Each magazine came with a disc that included game demos, preview videos, trailers, and updates about games or the Xbox. The discs also allowed users to play original Xbox games on the Xbox 360 through backward compatibility, which helped people without broadband or Xbox Live access. Starting in January 2012, OXM no longer included a demo disc. In mid-2014, the American version of the magazine’s website was combined with the British version, but this lasted only a few months. Future plc, the company that published OXM, later closed its website and other publications, such as Edge and Computer and Video Games. In February 2015, OXM and other Future video game websites were redirected to GamesRadar.

OXM was closed in April 2020 by its owners, Future Publishing, as part of a review of their publications. The COVID-19 pandemic was listed as one of the reasons for the closure.

A Chinese version of the magazine was released during the "Xbox Summer Video Game Show" held by Microsoft Taiwan on August 21 and 22, 2004, at the Third World Trade Center in Taipei. Only 200 copies were made.

Content

On the Disc (Discontinued in 2012)

Each magazine issue included a demo disc with games for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade. However, in January 2012, the magazine stopped including demo discs, stating, "You've told us you don't want the DVD anymore, and we listened…." The last demo disc, number 131, was included in that same issue. Each disc had special items, such as gamer pictures and hidden game demos. Gamers could play the games and watch videos on the disc to earn points. These points were used to research and build equipment in the in-game universe called "OXM Universe." The "OXM Universe" feature ended with the magazine's 100th issue.

The magazine included sections about Xbox business news, gaming updates, "Hard Stuff" (a review of devices related to the Xbox console), "2,000 Pennies or Less" (a list of inexpensive games for the Xbox or Xbox 360), monthly codes, "Forza Showroom" (a column showcasing top car designs from Forza Motorsport 2), a section for competing against the OXM team in games like Lost Planet, Halo 3, and Gears of War, "Media Ho!" (a section discussing movies, books, and other game-related items), "Live Space" (a section showing Xbox Live gamertags), "Ask Dr. Gamer" (a section where gamers asked health doctor Freddy Chen gaming-related questions), and "The (insert something here) of Xbox" (a section discussing Xbox business and other topics). The "Business of Xbox" column was written by Geoff Keighley until May 2007. From then until 2015, Christ Morris wrote the column less often. Starting with Issue #71, the end page featured rotating columnists, including game creators like Tim Schafer, Denis Dyack, and Randy Pitchford.

Review system

Until issue #52, the Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) used a 100-point system, scoring games out of 10.0 with .1 steps. Games with a score of 9.0 or higher received an Editor's Choice award. Starting with issue #53 (Holiday 2005), the US OXM changed to a 20-point system, scoring games out of 10.0 with steps of 0.5. The UK edition changed to a 10-point system, scoring games out of 10. This scoring method was explained on the introduction page for every issue's review section. A score of 10.0 was not considered perfect but was called "Classic" and described as "one of those rare and very best of games." OXM's review scale also included a score of 11.0 (called "Mecha Godzilla's Choice") as "Perfect," though the description for that score was "The unicorn. Will never happen. Never."

Twenty games received a 10/10 score from OXM, but only BioShock, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Grand Theft Auto V received this score from both the US and UK editions. The nine 10/10 games from the US edition included: Fight Night Round 3, Gears of War, Fallout 3, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mass Effect, Gears of War 3, and Batman: Arkham City. The nine 10/10 games from the UK edition included: Grand Theft Auto IV, Project Gotham Racing 4, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Mass Effect 2, Halo: Reach, Portal 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Mass Effect 3.

OXM also began reviewing Xbox Live Downloadable Content (DLC) using a three-point scale: Buy, Fanboys Only, and Deny. An exception was The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles expansion pack in issue 70, which, because of its size and being "much more than a simple map pack," was reviewed on the normal 20-point scale and received an 8.5 (Great). (The game was later released as an expansion on DVD.)

Bonus materials

Some disks included extra items for Xbox games. Early demo discs had a costume expansion for the game Dead or Alive 3 and Easter eggs that could be unlocked by entering a code using the controller. Some materials that were only available for download on Xbox Live were also included on demo disks. Until 2015, most US demo discs featured gamer pictures that focused on a specific game.

Podcasts

KOXM was the weekly Official Xbox Magazine podcast, hosted by OXM Senior Editor Dave Rudden. The show was earlier hosted by Ryan McCaffrey until he left Official Xbox Magazine to work at IGN. Dan Amrich was once McCaffrey's co-host, but he left the magazine and podcast to work at Activision/Blizzard. The audio podcast included a summary of the week's past events and game releases, two trivia contests (Name That Xbox Sound Effect and Stick it to the Dan [formerly Dan's Useless Trivia]) for a prize (usually a T-shirt or Xbox Live Arcade game), and interviews with game developers. The show was produced by Andy Bauman.

Before 2015, the OXM Video Podcast was updated less often, with long gaps between updates. The video podcast slowed until it was revived as Inside Xbox, a short Xbox Live program that OXM joined in 2008. The OXM Report on Inside Xbox included similar video content to the original video podcast, but with more timely information about games such as Gears of War 2 and Mirror's Edge. It was posted on Xbox Live every other Sunday.