The Idolm@ster: Live For You! (アイドルマスター Live for You! Aidorumasutā Raibu fō Yū) is an Xbox 360 game only released in Japan by Namco Bandai on February 28, 2008. The game is the sequel to the arcade game The Idolm@ster (which was later ported to the Xbox 360) which followed the career of a producer who works for the fictional 765 Production studio and has to work with a selection of ten prospective pop idols. In this game, due to the sudden absence of the original producer, the player is given the role of 'Special Producer' and is charged with coordinating the idols' concerts.
History[ | ]
After the success of the Xbox 360 version of the game, Namco revealed the production of Live for You! in October 2007. The game focuses more on the concert event section from the original, with higher customization of the stage, costumes and songs.
The game was sold in two versions, a Limited and a Regular Edition. The limited edition includes a custom slipcase and a special DVD containing an OVA and previews of remixed versions of the songs, available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Pre-reservations contained a download card that would allow users to download a new song, 'Shiny Smile' (3/27 release) for use in the game. A set of prepaid Microsoft Points cards featuring the iDOLM@STER characters have also been released to accompany the game. Two different versions were offered in 3,500 point denominations.
As of 25 May 2008, two downloadable content updates have been released. The updates include new costumes, costume pieces, song remixes, themes, gamer pictures, and short videos. Also each update includes a completely new song. "Shiny Smile" was the 1st new song and "Do-Dai" was the 2nd song to be released. A 3rd downloadable content update is scheduled for a 18 Jun 2008 release with "My Song" as the 3rd new song. Each content piece ranges from 200 to 1000 Microsoft Points.
Gameplay[ | ]
The game focuses mainly on the concert coordination aspect of the original and expands on it in many ways. Kotori Otonashi again serves as the player's assistant. Before each performance, the player is able to customize the song, stage, costumes and performance. During the concert, the player is engaged in a rhythm mini-game using 6 different buttons to build up a voltage meter indicating the excitement of the fans during the concert. A higher meter corresponds to a better ranking and higher score during the post-concert evaluation.
Reception[ | ]
The game was received well, with initial Famitsu scores placing it higher than its predecessor. The game sold 40,000 copies of the limited edition and 2,000 copies of the normal edition on the first day, exceeding the first week sales of the original.
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