Kotaku: The Idolmaster

Pin-Up Quitter Gets Crazy, Sings Song, and Flashes Butt Cheeks

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:00:00 EDT

The last Kotaku heard of Chiaki Takahashi, the voice actress canceled a book of underwear photos because of the earthquake. But that was April. This, this is not. More »

The Girls Aren't Real. But Neither Is the Camera.

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:00:00 EDT

Former Xbox 360 exclusive The Idolmaster 2 is coming to the PS3. Players get a huge amount of what was paid DLC on the Xbox 360 free of charge. It doesn't stop there. More »

Are Japanese Xbox 360 Fans Getting Screwed?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:00:00 EDT

On October 27, The Idolmaster 2, a pop idol simulator, is being ported to the PS3. The game originally debuted on the Xbox 360 earlier this year. More »

An Arcade Cabinet for Small, Plastic Gamers

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 27 May 2011 07:30:00 EDT

In 2005, Namco released a idol simulator in Japanese arcades called The Idolm@ster. The game ended up being a nerd smash hit, spawning Idolm@ster Xbox 360 and PSP games. It's 2011, and now the arcade cabinet that spawned it all is getting memorialized—as a 1:12 scale model. More »

Can An Earthquake Cancel Some Lady's Skimpy Photos?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EDT

The Tohoku Earthquake caused game after game to be delayed. One game, Disaster Report 4, was even canned. But it's not only games that are being impacted. Pictures of voice actress Chiaki Takahashi in revealing clothing are, too. More »

Voice Actress Gives Pin-Up Modeling One Last Shot?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:40:00 EDT

In January 2010, voice actress Chiaki Takahashi blogged that she was releasing one more book of pin-up pictures and then calling it a day. She was retiring from cheese cake modeling. If recent news is to be believed, Takahashi is coming back. More »

Darkstalkers' Most Versatile Voice Now Managing Popstars In Heaven

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:00:00 EST

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You may not know his name, but if you like Japanese games with mechas, fighters or idols, you probably know his voice. More »

These Boys Have Irked Idol Game Fans

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:00:00 EDT

The upcoming entry in Namco Bandai's idol simulator franchise features a boy band. Some fans of THE iDOLM@STER do not want a boy band in the game. They're not happy. More »

Nothing Says Xbox 360 In Japan Like A Grown Man In A Dress

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:00:00 EDT

Like its previous title, Namco Bandai's idol simulator THE iDOLM@STER 2 is coming to the Xbox 360. Time to celebrate! In drag. More »

Google Map Aids In Voice Actress Stalking

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:00:00 EDT

Oh hi! This is 28 year-old voice actress Eriko Nakamura. She voices Haruka Amami, one of the main idols in Namco's idol simulator THE iDOLM@STER franchise. More »

Rumor: THE iDOLM@STER 2 Singing and Dancing in 2011

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:00:00 EDT

Officially unconfirmed, but you're surprised? More »

This iDOLM@STER Cake Is NSFW

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:00:00 EST

Namco's pop simulator franchise THE iDOLM@STER has spawned arcade games, home console games, manga, anime, portable console games and at least one not-safe-for-work birthday cake. More »

The Girls From iDOLM@STER Wish You Happy Holidays!

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST

Namco Bandai's pop idol simulator THE iDOLM@STER wishes you a Merry Christmas, complete with nun cosplay. Because... well, because. Yeah. Lovely lady labo! More »

Wood, Chainsaw, iDOLM@STER

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EDT

Hockey-mask-wearing chainsaw-wielding sculptor Mr. Jason brings iDOLM@STER character Haruka Amami to life from a block of wood. More »

Can You Have Too Many Namco iDOLM@STER Idols?

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT

As seen on オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃. More »

BlazBlue, iDOLM@STER Voice Actress Moonlights As Pin-Up Model

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:00:00 EDT

In Japan, voice actresses aren't just voice actresses. They're voice actress idols. Take Chiaki Takahashi — she's in a candy-coated pop band and poses for pin-up pics. More »

iDOLM@STER Toy Buying iNS@NITY

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

The latest cute big-headed Nendoroid series is Namco pop idol sim franchise iDOLM@STER. More »

iDOLM@STER Characters Stretched And Shamed

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:00:00 EDT

The Japanese internet has discovered (hacked?) the "debug mode" for PSP title THE iDOLM@STER SP, making iDOLM@STER character posing possible. Make that, embarrassing NSFW posing possible. Proceed with caution. You have been warned! More »

Sony Brings iDOLM@STER To Home (And Creeps People Out)

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

Hey, that's not to say Namco Bandai's franchise THE iDOLM@STER isn't creepy, Home's version of iDOLM@STER character Haruka Amami is just, well, creepier. More »

Sale of iDOLM@STER Inspired Adult Video Halted

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:30:00 EST

Next January, a pornography parody of Namco's pop idol sim THE iDOLM@STER was slated for release. The flick's distributor TMA has announced that the adult movie will no longer go on sale. More »

Guilty Gear, Idolmaster, Clannad Pornography Parodies

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Mark your calendars, next January is officially Naughty Game Parody Month! January will see the release of not only, but two discerning films with game nods from Japanese adult video maker TMA. More »

Suggestive Rodeo Riding Machine Shame!!

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

A little background: Panasonic released "Joba" in 2005, a horseback riding machine. The machine mimics, well, horseback riding and provides riders with an ab workout. Aimed at seniors and those not keen on doing actual exercise, the key feature of Joba is that you really don't have to do more than simply sit on it to get a workout. (Though, arm movements are encouraged.) What's more, unlike, say, a treadmill, Joba does not take up much space in cramped Japanese dwellings. Panasonic has launched this product outside Japan to varying degrees of success. Some shameful individuals have noticed how the machine is quite suggestive. And those shameful individuals have created embarrassing fan-made clips of video game characters riding the rodeo machines. Sadly, we have posted a few of the more game related ones after the jump — THE iDOLM@STER and Haruhi. Remember: These poor characters are supposed to be on the horseback riding machines. So! If you find that offensive, do not click over. The clips are possibly NSFW. More »

iDOLMASTER Tickets Are Crazy Expensive

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Fans of Namco's Xbox 360-exclusive, J-pop idol sim THE iDOLM@STER are rich, it seems. Tickets for the iDOLM@STER event "THE iDOLM@STER 3rd Anniversary Live later this month have been going bananas. Auction prices have hit as high as ¥138,000 or US$1,292 (starting at ¥6,500 or $61) and fetching about $470 on average. The event will have the full iDOLM@STER voice cast in attendance, so perhaps these prices are understandable. More »

Namco's Dancing Wii Game With Added iDOLM@STER

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EDT

In the upcoming issue of Famitsu, Namco Bandai announced Wii music rhythm game Happy Dance Collection. The game has players rhythmically match Wii-mote motions. Yes, it's cutesy and it's got Mii crowd integration, but the real kicker here is the music. As expected, the game features popular J-Pop like "http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=2CHH8PDJqoI">Popstar" and "Choo Choo TRAIN", but also "Go My Way" from Namco's idol singer simulation Xbox 360 game THE iDOLM@STER. The female dancers also look iDOLM@STEResque. How's that for fan service! More »

THE iDOLM@STER Singing Its Way onto Windows Live

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:30 EDT

Microsoft isn't sorta behind Xbox 360 exclusive THE iDOLM@STER: Live For You! Microsoft is totally behind it. So much so that the company is using the virtual pop star sim idols for MS messenger. Windows Live now has an official iDOLM@STER theme pack, complete with cutesy icons. A second theme pack has been announced! Word has it that apparently Microsoft will even be releasing "voice packs" for Windows Live using the game's voice talent. Not sure if this will help, but okay! More »

Which Xbox.com Is Japan's?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:35 EST

We've got America, the UK, France, Brazil, India, Australia, Korea, Taiwan and, yep, Japan. Okay, to be fair, Lost Odyssey has already been released in Japan and the Japanese site isn't always that color. But, still. More »

Sing Along to New iDOLM@STER: L4U Trailer

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

Excited about THE iDOLM@STER: Live for You's impending release later this month? We certainly are! Here's the latest trailer and color pallet. The newest song even features man-chanting. Yes, MAN-CHANTING. There are two words for this, and they are "bone chilling." More »

Red Ring of Death, Naughty Faceplate

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:00:58 EST

Red Ring of Death sucks. Those who've seen the mark know the feeling of having to send their console back in hopes of getting it fixed — or better yet, a new one. But some people don't want a new one. Perhaps they are attached to their console and have fond memories of it. They want their machine fixed. One Japanese Xbox 360 owner (and iDOLM@STER fan) sent his off to repairs and made this short clip when it got back. He writes:

My bride came back.！ My Xbox 360 is back from Repairs and I couldn't be any happier. I was so happy... I decided to make a very simple very short video showing my wonderful Xbox and how it is after getting back from the repair

And how does he know its his? The serial number and, well, his topless teen faceplate. Yep. More »

Japan Downloads iDOLM@STER Content Big Time

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:00:59 EST

Wallets open! At a recent Namco press conference, it was announced that music idol managing sim THE iDOLM@STER has sold over 100,000 copies since going on sale last January in Japan. That's not so impressive (it is an Xbox 360 game, though). Here is what's impressive: It's number 3 in the world for downloadable content, selling US $3 million worth. That means the DLC per copy rate is VERY HIGH. What's more, this is only Japan. Free downloadable demos also clock in at 1.2 downloads. The entire iDOLM@STER market size for arcades, merchandise (CDs, etc) and whatnot is supposedly around US $56 million dollars. What's THE iDOLM@STER? It's nerd heroin. More »

The Singing Idolmaster Girls Return

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:00:48 EST

Miki Hoshii and the girls are back for more singing, dancing and idol mastering. Next February will see the release of THE iDOLM@STER: Live for You. We're slightly excited about the game (and the in-concert button pressing). But know: There are people in Japan who are more excited. Way more. More »

Cute Virtual Idol Sings Game Tunes

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:00:34 EDT

What's all the rage in nerdland? This. That is a clip of "Cute Pop Idol" Miku Hatsune (ミク初音), who's name means "Future" (ミク=未来=Miku) "First Sound" (初=hatsu=first 音＝ne＝sound). She is a hugely popular character in Yamaha's singing synthesizer application Vocaloid2. Here's the interesting bit: The vocal software is tweaked especially for J-pop anime-type songs. The software is apparently way easier to learn than stuff pros use, so otaku are easily able to create things like the this melody from THE iDOLM@STER, Super Mario RPG, Megaman, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Haruhi and Lucky Star. Epic. Thanks, Miki for the tip! More »

THE iDOLM@STER Clumps to Beautiful Katamari

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:27 EDT

I went through a phrase, a phase in which I was doing posts on popstar sim THE iDOLM@STER — sometimes every day. I've slowed down and only to only once or twice a month. And with that, I bring you this month's iDOLM@STER post... More »

The Flying Xbox 360 Japanese Anime

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 04:00:11 EDT

Flying Xbox 360 and Namco's THE iDOLM@STER! The above clip is a fan reworking of anime Kiteretsu Encyclopedia's opening. The anime was based on a Fujiko F. Fujio manga. (Fujio also created Doraemon, hence the similarities in character appearance.) Kiteretsu Encyclopedia followed a young science whiz named Kiteretsu, who built a robot buddy and travels in time. Hit the jump for the show's original opening, which is also pretty awesome — even without the flying Xbox 360. More »

The iDOLM@STER Gets Cheap in Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:40:36 EDT

For those living in Japan and for those who own an Xbox 360, good news! Microsoft sent word that Bandai Namco's popstar sim THE iDOLM@STER is now available as part of the 360's budget "Platinum Collection" for a mere ¥2,940 (US $25) starting November 1st. That's nothing! The game is certified nerd heroin, boasting a million iDOLM@STER items downloaded via Xbox LIVE marketplace. That's a not a lot, it's a shit ton. Surely, enough for an English localization? More »

Is This Nerdom's iDOLM@STER Killer?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:00:54 EDT

Pure nerd heroin. Don't think of PC game TimeLeap as a rip-off of Namco's pop idol sim THE iDOLM@STER. No, think of the erotic PC game as an expansion. For those who missed it, Namco's THE iDOLM@STER was by no means an erotic game (though, it did have some saucy dialogue and spicy costumes). A Japanese cult hit of sorts, the game did a decent showing on the Xbox 360 in Japan. TimeLeap hopes to capitalize on that. Besides the standard adult scenes of you-know-what, TimeLeap also features characters rendered in 3D much like THE iDOLM@STER. The pop music is pure saccharine, too. Hit the jump for look at TimeLeap. More »

THE iDOLM@STER Makes Haruhi Dance All Creepy

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:00:56 EDT

In what can only be described as total nerd meltdown, here's a fan-made THE iDOLM@STER-meets-The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya clip. Remember when I could never be sick of this dance? I lied. This freakazoid clip has decimated any desire to see that dance ever again. More »

Haruhi Dances Onto PSP

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:00:55 EDT

How popular is anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya? Popular enough to get a porno based on it, that's how. That's pretty popular! Today, it was announced that the anime will also be getting a PSP game from Bandai Namco. (From Gundam to THE iDOLM@STER, Bandai Namco sure have a stranglehold on nerd properties!) The anime's a smash hit, and the ending dance sequence has been memorized by dorks everywhere. Heck, I've watched that dance sequence into the ground, and I'm still not sick of it. Kinda hope that the PSP version is just a bunch of mini-games based on that dance. Sadly, I know that's not gonna happen. The title's official page launches July 10th, and the game's slated for sometime this year. More »

iDOLM@STER Pics Appear Mysteriously On US XBL

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:00:28 EDT

In what could be an Xbox Live non sequitur, a pic pack for THE iDOLM@STER has popped up on the US Marketplace. It's one pack containing lucky 13 gamer pictures for 200 Microsoft Points. The description of the game is written in Japanese, and it's listed as unrated or rating pending. Riddle me this: why would gamer pics for a Japan only game appear on the US Marketplace if there wasn't intent on release it, well, in the US? Brian Ashcraft More »

PS3 Shamed By THE iDOLM@STER

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:00:55 EDT

Sony's graced Japan with some neat online goodies this week: new PS3-content-accessing PSP firmware and a Folk Lore demo. What about retailers? Nope, it seems. Retailer Sofmap's main Akihabara store has been running the above promotion in the PS3 corner. The machine may be PS3, but it's running footage from Xbox 360 title THE iDOLM@STER. The text reads: More »

The Book Display M@ster

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 30 May 2007 07:00:08 EDT

Just when you thought that otaku had moved on comes this: THE iDOLM@STER book tower. Found at TORANOANA in Osaka, this display features character books and comics. More »