The series primarily centers on the career of a producer who works with a group of prospective pop idols at the talent agency 765 Production. The series includes a variety of other media such as anime, printed media, audio dramas, a Korean drama, and radio shows. The central aspect of the plot for The...
The series primarily centers on the career of a producer who works with a group of prospective pop idols at the talent agency 765 Production. The series includes a variety of other media such as anime, printed media, audio dramas, a Korean drama, and radio shows. The central aspect of the plot for The Idolmaster deals with the training of prospective pop idols on their way to stardom. Games in the series also explore relationships between characters, ranging from the relationship that develops between an idol and a producer, to the rivalry between idols and production studios. In the main series of games, the player usually assumes the role of a producer who is put in charge of one or more idols as a part of a raising simulation. The player starts by arranging the idol's daily schedule, which gives the player a large amount of freedom on what the idol does, including giving the idol the day off. The schedule includes time for the producer to communicate with the idol, take them to jobs, train them during lessons, and offer directions during auditions and performances until they reach the top spot in the entertainment industry. Training an idol has the player going through a variety of lessons in the form of minigames. The number and type of lessons change over the series; for example, there are five in the original arcade game, six in The Idolmaster SP, and three in The Idolmaster 2. The other aspect of the game which increases an idol's statistics depends on their costumes and accessories. In the communication phase between the producer and an idol, text progression pauses when the player is given multiple responses to choose from over the course of a conversation and the player is given a limited amount of time to make a choice, though the player can pause the game to be given more time. The communication phase is supplemented by the idol taking on various jobs to further her exposure and gain fans. The audition phase is the main way for an idol to climb the idol rankings by gaining fans. The audition process involves another series of minigames, which allow the player to appeal to the judges or audience by earning points in the vocal, dance and visual categories.