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The Idolm@ster: Shiny Colors Smartphone Browser Game Launches This Spring
posted on by Egan Loo
In a live-streamed program on Wednesday, The IDOLM@STER franchise's executive producer Yozo Sakagami and Bandai Namco Entertainment producer Yūsuke Takayama announced The IDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors browser game for smartphones. The game will feature new idol units, and it will let each player train idols and compete against other producers/players online in live concert performances. The game will be free-to-play (with in-game purchases).
The game's producers said that the image of the new game is rainbow colors. The new main idol unit, Illumination Stars, is part of the agency 283 Production. ("283" is pronounced "Tsubasa," a wordplay on the Japanese word for "wings.") The unit's tagline is, "Twinkling in the eyes, unlimited possibilities."
Three of the new voice actresses and the Illumination Stars idols they play — all in their first year of high school — are (in the order they appear in the promotional video above):
Reina Kondō as Hiori Kazano, a cool beauty with a stoic personality
Mayu Mineta as Meguru Hachimiya, a naive, friendly girl with a Japanese father and American mother
The president of 283 Production is Tsutomu Amai, who may act like a "dandy" in his 40s, but has a no-nonsense personality. The employee Hazuki Nanakusa (pictured right) may seem always sleepy but is multi-talented as she helps the idols with voice training, dance lessons, and makeup.
In addition to the new main idol unit, the producers teased 13 more idols in three more units whom they will reveal later.
The overall theme song for the game (as heard in the promotional video) is "Spread the Wings!!" by lyricist Saori Kodama and composer/arranger Akihiko Yamaguchi. Illumination Stars' "Hikari no destination" song will debut shortly. Yōichi Sekine serves as the game's music producer at Lantis.
A tie-in four-panel manga is also launching on the game's official website. The site is accepting early registration of players.
The game will be available on smartphones via what Bandai Namco Entertainment tentatively calls the "HTML5 New Platform."
