English-language Idolm@ster games come to iOS, $55 each

Namco Bandai has released three previously Japan-only rhythm games, Idolm@ster Shiny Festa, on iOS devices for $55 each.

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Namco Bandai has released its cult rhythm game Idolm@ster on iOS, giving North American gamers a chance to see why the series has been so popular in Japan. Three games, originally released on PSP in Japan last year, can be found on the App Store, but be prepared to pay much more than the usual iOS release.

The three Shiny Festa apps, Rhythmic Record, Melodic Disc, and Harmonic Score (via TouchArcade, are listed at $54.99. They're also particularly large downloads, at roughly 2 GB to download and 3 GB once installed. Each one features a selection of J-pop songs and just over 20 minutes of animation to go with it.

To be fair, importing these games from a site like Play Asia could cost roughly the same amount or even more than the iOS versions. With Namco Bandai targeting a very specific niche, such a high price tag might be warranted--even if it seems out of place for the App Store.

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  • reply
    April 22, 2013 1:21 PM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, English-language Idolm@ster games come to iOS, $55 each.

    Namco Bandai has released three previously Japan-only rhythm games, Idolm@ster Shiny Festa, on iOS devices for $55 each.

    • reply
      April 22, 2013 1:28 PM

      i hope square doesn't catch wind of this

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      April 22, 2013 1:47 PM

      I guess they can pare down the price if it doesn't work out.

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      April 22, 2013 2:25 PM

      what a deal?

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      April 22, 2013 2:33 PM

      seems worth it i guess... it comes with a fleshlight right?

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      April 22, 2013 2:45 PM

      Offering the entire Japanese experience I see.

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      April 22, 2013 3:54 PM

      Well at least the apps are ungodly huge. I remember a few years back there was an $899.99 app that was like 701kb (was some sort of specialized security system hook-in app that was actually still cheaper than buying the piece of equipment it was emulating)

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        April 22, 2013 4:06 PM

        What the hell does size have to do with price?

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          April 22, 2013 4:08 PM

          Yeah. It's all about the motion of the ocean, right?

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          April 22, 2013 6:53 PM

          They don't, that's the joke.

          But at least a holy shit pricetag is associated with a game whose file size implies some level of production values, whether worth it or not.

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