The iDOLM@STER: One For All (PS3)

[Okayu]

Interesting~. You happen to have more of those pre-designs?

As far as I know those are the only first proposals. There are some books that cover the arcade prototype designs though. This page is from platinum album. This prototype Miki is also interesting.

[animagic4u]

Those gloves fill me with joy.

[Maka]

I have a few pics! All of them were taken from the now-defunct imas uploader.

[MetalPredat0r]

Ooooo, prototype designs! I love stuff like this! 

Chihaya wearing plaid seems a bit off to me, though. Glad they changed it for the final release. Though I do wonder why she went for blue hair from the 360 version onward, since this concept art and the arcade game gave her black hair.

I always imagined that Haruka with the longer hair could be an older version of her someday if they ever get to that point.

Nothing notable about Yukiho.

Makoto's outfit gives me a sort of New York/New Jersey vibe. I dunno, that's just me.

Miki IS interesting. Maybe Awakened Miki has brown hair as a sort of reference to this prototype design?

[Virgofall]

OR a swimsuit. There are too many swimsuits in iDOLM@STER. (Not to mention a few that are exactly the same but just recolored >< ; )

Kinda-sorta agree with this, but it doesn't irk me quite so much as with the uniforms, probably because there's a little variance in most of them. (Granted if there was a ton of variance, school uniforms wouldn't work - would defeat the point - but they also have the recolor issue too.)

I have to say Takane's extend felt like a waste considering a similar outfit was released in an earlier OFA catalog.

I disagree with this one, though - it's more useful BECAUSE there's a similar outfit released before. That being said, both are more thematic than "normal" swimsuits, too, so eh.

I wonder, given how many accessory sets they've thrown back without their associated outfits, do you think they'll probably bring back those outfits with DLC? (e.g. Starlight Agent, Prima Concerto)

The prototypes are pretty interesting, though Chihaya's first proposal looks really off to me, maybe just because seeing her with a headband like that... the design somewhat looks like they fused Takane (the headband,  her face and the general bang style) with Chihaya as we know her now. (Though arguably, maybe that's how Takane formed to begin with, who knows?)

[animagic4u]

The prototypes are pretty interesting, though Chihaya's first proposal looks really off to me, maybe just because seeing her with a headband like that... the design somewhat looks like they fused Takane (the headband,  her face and the general bang style) with Chihaya as we know her now. (Though arguably, maybe that's how Takane formed to begin with, who knows?)

Does anyone remember back in iDOLM@STER SP when they had the Gravure Swimsuit DLC? I purchased it because I had some money left on my card, and then a few months later they come out with the free recolored version of the Gravure Swimsuit. I was so pissed.

Her personality looks entirely different. To me, the proposal images look like they are trying to make them look like (dare I say) real 3D idols. The character designs they stuck with seem to have a softer more "anime" feel. OFA, especially, seems to be making the game feel more and more like the anime.

[Chance4U]

OR a swimsuit. There are too many swimsuits in iDOLM@STER. (Not to mention a few that are exactly the same but just recolored >< ; )

Thank you for this. There are practically enough released swimsuits available for all 13 idols to wear a different one. I mean, I guess a little fanservice never killed anyone, but when other countries feel uncomfortable enough to remove some of them, it does make you wonder...

I have a few pics! All of them were taken from the now-defunct imas uploader.

Yeah, the full scans are on Toshiyuki Kubooka's page of the wiki.

Jeeze, poor Haruka. Her new artwork for that book really suffered.

[Okayu]

The prototypes are pretty interesting, though Chihaya's first proposal looks really off to me, maybe just because seeing her with a headband like that... the design somewhat looks like they fused Takane (the headband,  her face and the general bang style) with Chihaya as we know her now. (Though arguably, maybe that's how Takane formed to begin with, who knows?)

Her personality looks entirely different. To me, the proposal images look like they are trying to make them look like (dare I say) real 3D idols. The character designs they stuck with seem to have a softer more "anime" feel. OFA, especially, seems to be making the game feel more and more like the anime.

This was probably before they auditioned for the roles. After Mingosu sang aoi tori Chihaya got changed almost completely from the original, although we don't know much about that to begin with. Ironically Chihaya looked a bit like Mingosu before that. I think rather than shifting away from 3D idols they just changed the era they were reflecting.  At the very beginning (as in the first proposal) it looks more 60s while the end result (the arcade game) seemed to be a different decade. The arcade idols also felt more realistic not in quality but in designs. Everyone had natural colors for the most part. I don't think the later changes (vision 2) were for the worse either. The costumes and songs have been able to cover more variety than the past too. Although I did like how they used fur in the beginning (the original arcade and xbox 360 game) since they couldn't use frills at the time, or so it's claimed. However I think the spinoff idols are even more unrealistic.

[animagic4u]

In the beginning it looks more 60s while the end result seemed to be a different decade.

I disagree here. This fashion style was extremely popular during the late '90s and early 2000s. I think, it is, infact, reminiscent of that 'mod' style, but it was still popular during the time the game came out. To me, the original iDOLM@STER games really capture that time period. In the newer games, with evolving fashion and graphics, I can see how the costume designs have changed to suit different tastes.

[Okayu]

I disagree here. This fashion style was extremely popular during the late '90s and early 2000s. I think, it is, infact, reminiscent of that 'mod' style, but it was still popular during the time the game came out. To me, the original iDOLM@STER games really capture that time period. In the newer games, with evolving fashion and graphics, I can see how the costume designs have changed to suit different tastes.

I mean for the comments for the first prototype it comments Haruka's costume was supposed to be based off the 60s and Chihaya was drawn a bit too old looking. I think imas will end up one of those of it's time series, which could be very interesting depending how long it goes on for. As you said the original games felt more like in it's time period. It certainly has elements of current idol culture too such as AKB with it's many idols and paid polls for appearances traits being used in mobile game form.

[Saturos]

However I think the spinoff idols are even more unrealistic.

Hue hue.

[Okayu]

Hue hue.

Not sure if you're agreeing here. What I meant was the complaint was that the idols didn't feel as realistic, but the mobage idols feel less so with their over the top designs and personalities in some cases. For example originally all of the idols had natural hair colors although this was later changed with Chihaya and Azusa's black to blue, and prototype Takane's change from blonde to silver. While they had their moments as well, none of the idols at their core felt too unrealistic in the beginning.

[Saturos]

Yeah I got ya. It's just I don't like the mobage idols to begin with and I was all for putting them into a negative light, but I see what you're saying that you are only stating differences, not including a bias towards any of the idols.

[MetalPredat0r]

I have to agree with you, Okayu. A wide number of the Cinderella Girls feel a bit closer to pure fantasy which does clash with the comparatively more realistic environments of the main series and Million Live. That's the only real complaint I have with the CG characters.

[Chance4U]

Did this stage come with the new DLC event? It's the background for the ALLSTAR song, but it's never mentioned as being usable in Stage For You on the blog post or DLC page.

I found a few videos using it, but I wanted a confirmation.

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24232301
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsXOQpkcMEU&list=UU-KRbGNrHcofEQ7wBWxwLUA&index=23