Please please please please please please
Here’s a sign of hope, non-JapaneseIdolmasterfans! It seems that last week Namco Bandai registered trademarks in Europe for itsIdolmasterseries. The company registered two, actually, one for “The Idolmaster“, and “Shiny Festa“, which just so happens to be the title of a recentIdolmasterspin-off title released for the PSP in October.
What could this mean?! It could mean nothing. Companies file protective trademarks all the time, with no intention of actually doing anything with them. Then again,Idolmasterhas been around for nearlyseven yearsat this point (it was one of the Xbox 360’s killer apps in Japan!), making Namco Bandai rather slow on the draw if brand protection was its sole motive.
If theydoend up bringing some part of theIdolmasterfranchise to foreign shores,Shiny Festawould in fact be an easy place to start. Whereas coreThe iDOLM@STERtitles have players nurturing a young pop star’s career in a Tamagotchi-like fashion,Shiny Festa(trailer shown above) is astraightforward rhythm gamein the tradition ofHatsune Miku Project DIVAorElite Beat Agents. That would make localization simple and relatively cheap.
Gosh, I sure do hope this actually turns into something. Don’t let us down, Namco Bandai!
