Pre-release thread: THE iDOLM@STER: Platinum Stars

[ninjamitsuki]

I'm very anxious. OFA has really little replay value so I'm afraid it won't last long when it comes to appeal. I might get bored of it.

[Yodudes0]

Will ALL the girls be new girls?

I'm pretty sure that would cause a massive boycott of the series leading to severely decreased sales and Namco's bankruptcy.

So probably not.

[MetalPredat0r]

I'm pretty sure that would cause a massive boycott of the series leading to severely decreased sales and Namco's bankruptcy.

So probably not.

I personally wouldn't mind a "New Generation"-type cast so long as these girls are as likable as the main cast we have now.

[ninjamitsuki]

They could do something like Dream C Club Gogo and just make different games with different idols.

I don't think Dream C Club Gogo was poorly received for having a brand new cast, right?

[MetalPredat0r]

They could do something like Dream C Club Gogo and just make different games with different idols.

I don't think Dream C Club Gogo was poorly received for having a brand new cast, right?

Not that I know of. It could be like Street Fighter III where about 90% of the characters are brand new with some returning characters.

[ninjamitsuki]

Or they could do Pokemon-esque "versions" like they did with SP.

[Daverost]

I'm still waiting on the inevitable Cinderella Girls game to happen.

[ninjamitsuki]

But this is the PS4 we're talking about. It could probably hold a ton of idols all in one game.

[DeviantProtagonist]

It better. I want to be able to produce my Chihaya-chan in high definition PS4 glory, no exceptions!

*Crosses arms and pouts.*

[Cael K.]

It better. I want to be able to produce my Chihaya-chan in high definition PS4 glory, no exceptions!

*Crosses arms and pouts.*

... But are you prepared to pay to produce her as a DLC character? O_o;;

[DeviantProtagonist]

... I can honestly see that happening, knowing Namco's track record. Still, I must not relent!

But then suddenly they'd limit her to one song and costume, a la OfA guests. ;~;

[AkuAkane]

I honestly have a feeling the next game will focus on the Million Live girls. It seems like they're going to make a big change and it seems like its about time for a cast change. They basically forced the Million Live girls into the Idolm@ster movie and the movie had a lot of focus on the Million Live girls needing to develop and striving to be like the 765 pro girls who are already at the peak of their careers. There are less Million Live girls than there are Cinderella Girls by a long shot. The Million Live girls have more development/personality in general. All the Million Live girls already have voice actors. Not to mention there has been quite a few Million Live girls being released as dlc for One For All. Definitely more than Cinderella Girls.

So as far as I can see, this next game will either be focused on the Million Live girls solely, mix the Million Live girls with the 765 pro girls (which the songs being released of the Million Live girls and 765 Pro girls singing together definitely brings this to mind and it would be easier to ease people off of the 765 pro girls this way), or just be another 765 pro game.

I would be surprised if it was focused on the Cinderella Girls and straight up shocked if it was focused on Male Idols (ew) the main Idolm@ster demographic has always been men and obviously men want to produce girls in most cases so I definitely don't see them going that route ever, or at least a long time from now. A mobile game makes sense because honestly there are a shit ton of girl "gamers" who play nothing but mobile games so ofc they will get a good amount of girls playing it; but a main series game? Naw.

With Cinderella girls, yeah the anime is coming out, but a lot them don't have voice actors and they're not really in depth characters at all and theres A LOT of them so I don't see that either. (inb4 its Cinderella Girls and its focused on the girls appearing in the anime and all the others are DLC lololol). Either way I'll only really be disappointed if it focuses on male idols. (and hell I'd still buy it)

[ninjamitsuki]

Honestly I once asked myself around the time the first EX DLCs came out, where next? The girls of 765 are already top idols beloved by the nation, how much higher could their fame and skill go? And then it hit me... They're only big in Japan. I would imagine the next game would be about 765 conquering the world, so to speak, striving for global popularity. Kind of like the regions in 2, but on a more massive scale. I think that's the logical next step to becoming top idol. I think iM@S 3rd Vision would probably also have an appearance revision again. Maybe Azusa grows her hair back, Makoto's hair gets even longer, Miki's back to short brown hair, maybe someone gets increased sizes. Who knows. Azusa had better grow her hair back

I would be surprised if it was focused on the Cinderella Girls and straight up shocked if it was focused on Male Idols (ew) the main Idolm@ster demographic has always been men and obviously men want to produce girls in most cases so I definitely don't see them going that route ever, or at least a long time from now. A mobile game makes sense because honestly there are a shit ton of girl "gamers" who play nothing but mobile games so ofc they will get a good amount of girls playing it; but a main series game? Naw.

And so are the people who play Tokimeki Memorial (which is a straight up dating sim)... And yet they make the Girl's Side games which have just as much features as the main one. And I don't see anybody complaining about them... A male idol game would most likely be a spinoff game for a different demographic, but with the iM@S trademark. I don't see why they would try to target a game like this towards the main series audience (not after the Jupiter disaster). Albeit due to iM@S's budget, it is a little risky to make a full-on male iM@S with the budget they put towards the main series, but I think they could test the waters with maybe a portable raising sim game starring Jupiter, and if it's popular go from there. SideM is still in its intimacy so I think it could use a wait.

[AkuAkane]

Honestly I once asked myself around the time the first EX DLCs came out, where next? The girls of 765 are already top idols beloved by the nation, how much higher could their fame and skill go? And then it hit me... They're only big in Japan. I would imagine the next game would be about 765 conquering the world, so to speak, striving for global popularity. Kind of like the regions in 2, but on a more massive scale. I think that's the logical next step to becoming top idol. I think iM@S 3rd Vision would probably also have an appearance revision again. Maybe Azusa grows her hair back, Makoto's hair gets even longer, Miki's back to short brown hair, maybe someone gets increased sizes. Who knows. Azusa had better grow her hair back


And so are the people who play Tokimeki Memorial (which is a straight up dating sim)... And yet they make the Girl's Side games which have just as much features as the main one. And I don't see anybody complaining about them... A male idol game would most likely be a spinoff game for a different demographic, but with the iM@S trademark. I don't see why they would try to target a game like this towards the main series audience (not after the Jupiter disaster). Albeit due to iM@S's budget, it is a little risky to make a full-on male iM@S with the budget they put towards the main series, but I think they could test the waters with maybe a portable raising sim game starring Jupiter, and if it's popular go from there. SideM is still in its intimacy so I think it could use a wait.

The Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side games also mainly gained their massive popularity from their DS releases (and the DS in general had a huge female user base) and not so much from the PS2 releases. In fact by the time the third game came around they stopped even making them for non-portable consoles. Anyway, yeah, I could see a male idol focused im@s game as a portable spinoff release, but not as a main series release.

Also your idea of another 765 Pro focused release is pretty interesting. I feel like if they went the 765 Pro route that would be a good way to continue it. I agree that if they did make another 765 Pro focused release that they would probably do another appearance revision. Also agree on you about Azusa's hair. I like her with short as well, but prefer long haired Azusa. Long haired Makoto would be interesting and help show progress to her being more feminine, but I feel like it may take away some her tomboy appeal.

[ninjamitsuki]

I think it's possible for Makoto to grow her hair just a little bit longer and still be androgynous, if she wears it in a certain style, like a short layered ponytail. Something that'll still make her look sporty, anyway. Something like Sheena Fujibayashi for lack of better words.