1. The chart information and various conversations I've had suggest that there was a drop, although a lot of it can be attributed to the lack of the tail end - national disasters can do that.
If you're wondering there's been an estimate of about a loss of maybe 15-20% sale on sales period with live for you.
As you can guess though, I'm not going to release my sources. I like my inside contacts.
2. There were videos that showed up on nico for a couple of weeks - however the footage is fairly limited (I actually have about all but one of the known videos recorded in regards with video production) and consequently you don't see the creative side that much.
3. From what I know of it, basically, since Iori's VA is pretty much prevailant over multiple genres and formats, she's just better known in her Anime forms than she is with idolm@ster 2. You could argue there's also a bit of fatigue you'd get considering she's been around a long time.
4. I'd answer that question except I'd be disclosing things I shouldn't. We'll just say 'It's down, but factors are spread more across industry and outside industry'.
5. There's been a few expenditure jokes, but no, that figure is WAY too low.
Yes, low. If you're interested, here's the math. At full price, Live for you cost ~55000 MS points.
3500 points is 7000 yen (assuming prepaid, you walked into a store and bought it as a local)
I can confirm this figure, because I pegged this figure at the Australian Tax Office as part of my business expenditures that year. They accepted it after seeing my books.
idolm@ster 1 was pegged to be at similar figures, although I never did SP to do the calculation.
DS requires a phone subscription at 3000 yen a month for its DLC, not sure how far that ran for though.
Can't comment on Mobile.
Let's put it this way, if you bought all the items im@s has put out over the course of its lifetime at new, you'd probably be a millionare, with change.
6. Go mod it, and even then, good luck. Otherwise, no, you're out of luck. Importing is like that. It's easier to mod an Xbox 360 for outright DLC theft than it is to reliably get multiregioning to work.
Just bear in mind I make it sound easy - It's not. This is due to recent archetecture changes in the X360. (In short, good fricking luck trying to get the stars align for this one.)
7. No, the only regions it will list are in Japan, general Asia (HK etc) and the Koreas. You supposedly CAN use the general Asia account to purchase the DLC on though and I've heard it'll take US credit cards. I've not investigated to confirm though, since I gain very little benefit from doing so. (Exchange gains get murdered by the fact that I live in Australiaand have to set up a US card in the US by proxy, and Australian cards definitely DO NOT work.)
There's very little stopping you signing up for an account to begin purchase - most of the issues are bound by payment (namely inablity to pay), not by acquisition.
8. There is one way you can play im@s 2 on PC - Break into Namco's offices and play on the production test server although about half the game's missing. In short, good luck (simply, no) trying to get THAT copy out.
There is no reason NBGI will move from a console from a business perspective. Basically, platform's more secure, and in L4U's case, I can confirm they booked a multimillion US gain over the lifetime of L4U.
From what I was told, total DLC sale average of last year was about 30% over every single copy. Grab the above figures, then do some expodential calculations with im@s L4U's sales figures. It's a nice tidy sum, isn't it?
Granted, L4U had unpreccidented applications for MAD work, which triggered an explosion of interest.
The real question is 'Why haven't Namco moved from the X360?'
That answer's more complicated, and it's to do heavily with the history of the game. Some of it is almost sensational though.
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Take the data how you will.