Localizing iDOLM@STER 2

[Elixir]

Well, the point of having the game request forum is to see what games people want and how many people want them. Doesn't indicate how heavily they factor it into their localization decisions though.

The way he's speaking makes him sound like he's already part of something or knows something we don't. Anyone would assume by reading his post that this is more than a mere  "game request", but if it really is... this is another pointless thread.

[Kotakoni]

@Elixir
They have already done something like this before. For games like Legasista and Mugen Souls, the companies were hesitating whether or not they would allow localization, but after so many people from NISAmerica wanted it so badly, they contacted their publishers and the games were scheduled for localization.

As said before from another user in this topic, it's not very likely, but it's definitely not impossible. The iDOLM@STER already has tons of support in America, and there's a lot of people who want it. It was also pretty obvious that most people who want the game already own the Japanese copy, but there are people who don't have the funds to pay for the game.

I forgot who said it, but yes, the game would be really expensive because of licensing, the music production, etc.

[Daverost]

Have they openly said this, or are you just assuming they will?

Hard to say one way or the other, but Houk (the moderator that does the most forum work) is really quick to close topics that have no chance of localization.

See here, here, here, here, and here for a few examples.

The Idolmaster 2 topic, on the other hand, has been open for quite a while and they haven't come in to shoot the idea down yet. (At least not as far as I remember.)

[ninjamitsuki]

Honestly, I'm okay with this. Those who want to experience it all in Japanese exactly as it is in Japan probably already imported it.

However, for those who want a fresh experience or don't have the patience to play Japanese games we'll get an English version that nobody's forcing you to play. Also, NIS isn't bad at localizing. They did good with Atelier.

[SakuraMaxX]

Atelier series didn't have to face licensing issues for a shitton of music among other things.

[ninjamitsuki]

Well, that's true.

I guess the music is an issue...

[animagic4u]

Especially considering the Asian version didn't get rights to any of the anime songs.
Except for READY! which was an exception because it was included.

[ninjamitsuki]

Well, since anime is a lot cheaper to license and doesn't require as much risks I can actually totally see the anime making it over but the games will remain Japan-only.

There are tons of game based anime that got dubbed but the games they're based on never made it.

[animagic4u]

Yes. Even really really obscure animes like Doujin Work (love it) have made it over, so it's very likely iDOLM@STER will make it.

Time to get vocal training!!

[Daverost]

Atelier series didn't have to face licensing issues for a shitton of music among other things.

I'd imagine Ar tonelico did.

[ninjamitsuki]

Maybe, in the unlikely chance that the anime gets popular over here, we might get the game later.

That's what happened to Higurashi. But of course, Higurashi was made by like one guy and iDOLM@STER is a huge project by a well known developer.

I think that's the hard part. Namco-Bandai is a well known game developer, but iDOLM@STER is a game by them for a very specific audience.

[animagic4u]

Yeah but look what happened to the music in Higurashi.

[ninjamitsuki]

I actually haven't played the sound novel, lol.

But, we should be glad that the anime makes it over here legally. It's better than nothing, I guess.

[animagic4u]

True. They localize obscure things.

I have faith in an idolm@ster anime in America. As long as it's done like Angel Beats where they keep the music intact.

[furix]

I am not sure if I should be posting this... Since I think Harada and Ono are just trolling...

But, Harada, the person behind Tekken, recently changed his twitter icon to Yukiho
http://twitter.com/#!/harada_TEKKEN
He had also mentioned a few weeks ago that he would be working on an idolm@ster project. Of course, so far I've just dismissed all that as trolling.

Then, Ono, the person behind Street Fighter and a good friend of Harada mentions in a twit that it has always been Harada's dream to make idolm@ster international.
This is the post http://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/208042818441195521

They also joke that maybe he is just putting a Yukiho custom item into Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and other little jokes like that.

Now, he might actually be working on an im@s international, whatever that means, maybe it's just TTT2 custom items he has planned... Or maybe he's just trolling and just happens to like Yukiho.

Whatever it is, I just don't want to get my hopes up haha.