| THE iDOLM@STER | |
Xbox 360 Box Cover Art |
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| アイドルマスター (Aidorumasutā) |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Music |
| Game | |
| Developer | Namco |
| Publisher | Namco Bandai Games |
| Genre | Raising sim Rhythm game |
| Rating | CERO: C (Xbox 360, DS), B (PSP) |
| Platform | Arcade, Xbox 360, PSP, DS |
| Released | Arcade:
The Idolmaster: SP:
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| TV anime | |
| The IDOLM@STER | |
| Directed by | Atsushi Nishigori |
| Written by | Touko Machida |
| Music by | Ryuuichi Takada |
| Studio | A-1 Pictures |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Network | BS-i, CBC, MBS, RKB, TBS |
| Original run | July 7, 2011 – December 23, 2011 |
| Episodes | 25 + Extra episode |
The Idolmaster (アイドルマスター Aidorumasutā, officially romanized as THE iDOLM@STER) is an arcade and console raising simulation game released exclusively in Japan by Namco (now Namco Bandai Games) on July 26, 2005. It was released on the Xbox 360 on January 25, 2007. The game follows the career of a producer who works for the fictional 765 Production studio and has to work with a group of prospective pop idols. An anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures began airing on July 7, 2011.
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The Idolm@ster has been credited with making Japan's ratio of sign-ups for Xbox Live compared to the number consoles sold the world's highest.[1] Over four times as many Microsoft points were sold on the date of The Idolm@ster 360 release as on the date before it.[1] The Xbox 360 version contains new songs and an additional idol, Miki Hoshii, for the player to work with along with the original idols from the Arcade.
On July 23, 2008, a PSP version of The Idolm@ster was announced by gaming magazine Famitsu. It is a direct port of the Arcade game, but will have three different versions, each featuring 3 different idols to work with. All three versions were released February 19, 2009 in Japan. There has also been shown in a teaser that there will be a fourth group that consist of Miki and 2 new characters to the series, one named Takane Shijou, the other named Hibiki Ganaha.[2]
A Nintendo DS version of the game, entitled The Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars was released on September 17, 2009.[3] The story will take place from the idols perspective as they enter 876 Productions. The idols hope to make it big with the help of the current stars. Unlike other games, instead of taking the idols' producer role, the player portrays the idol themselves. The game also includes Wi-Fi functionality.
A sequel titled The Idolmaster: Live For You! was released on February 28, 2008.[4]
A second sequel called The Idolmaster 2 was announced at the Idolmaster's 5th anniversary concert, and was released exclusively for Xbox 360 on February 24, 2011. The game was also released on the PlayStation 3 on October 27th, 2011.
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (another Xbox 360 game developed and published by Namco) references The Idom@ster in special paint schemes for the Su-33 Flanker, F-117A Night Hawk, Su-47 Berkut, F-15E Strike Eagle, and F-22A Raptor as part of downloadable packs of extra aircraft colors made available for purchase on November 22, 2007, December 20, 2007, January 31, 2008, February 28, 2008, March 31, 2008 respectively. The character Miki Hoshii appears on the paint schemes of the Su-33 and Su-47, Yukiho Hagiwara appears on the F-117A, Chihaya Kisaragi appears on the F-15E, Haruka Amami on the F-22A, Yayoi Takatsuki on the Mirage 2000-5, and Iori Minase on the Rafale M.[5][6][7] A stage in Beautiful Katamari set in the Producer's office features a song by all of the girls, titled 'Danketsu.'
Some songs[8] were featured in Taiko no Tatsujin series. Yayoi Takatsuki made a cameo in Namco's RPG Tales of Hearts as a Support Attacker by using a move named High Touch. Haruka Amami is set to make an appearance as a cameo costume for Mel in Namco's RPG Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X.[9] The game Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology had several of the girl's costumes featured as buyable and wearable armor.
An update patch for PlayStation Home features Idolmaster slot machines inside the Namco Bandai hubs, where one can win special clothing to look like Haruka.
A collaboration DLC package between Sega's Project DIVA 2nd and The Idol Master SP was released, featuring a Haruka costume for Hatsune Miku, a combined version of Ami and Mami's costumes for Kagamine Rin, and a Chihaya costume for Megurine Luka. The package also comes with "GO MY WAY!!" redone by Hatsune Miku and "relations" redone by Megurine Luka and Kagamine Rin.
An anime series set in an alternate universe called Idolmaster: Xenoglossia was made by Sunrise. Directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, it aired across Japan from April to October 2007. The series centers around mecha and reimagines the ten prospective idols as fighter pilots of those robots, with eight of them posing as students. Xenoglossia has no relation to the games apart from its characters.
A 25 minute OVA was included in the limited edition of The Idolmaster: Live For You!. The OVA involves Haruka, Chihaya, and Miki trying to reach Tokyo in time to catch up with the rest of girls in their latest concert after the trio gets lost in the middle of nowhere.
A new Idolmaster anime that is faithfully based on the games including being voiced by the original voice cast from the games was produced by A-1 Pictures Inc. under the direction of Atsushi Nishigori and Touko Machida as script supervisor. The anime began airing on July 7, 2011 on TBS.
The franchise has 11 manga adaptions which includes: