Bandai Namco held the YukuM@S KuruM@S 2020 live stream on December 29, 2020, where it revealed a lot of information on The Idolmaster franchise. One of the notable highlights from the stream is The Idolmaster: P Greeting Kit, a new mobile app that will let people create and share Producer Cards.
Producers—referring to the players’ roles as Japanese idol producers in the franchise—can create their own “business cards” using assets officially provided in the app. They can then share the digitally-made cards on social media. Bandai Namco hopes that this app will become a networking tool that lets the series’ Producers connect with like-minded people.
Bandai Namco will reveal more details about the The Idolmaster: P Greeting Kit with a trailer set to premiere on YouTube on January 14, 2021, at 9pm JST (6am ET).
The Idolmaster: P Greeting Kit will be available for Android and iOS mobile devices this Winter in Japan.
In the same stream, Bandai Namco also revealed a TsukuM@S campaign where people can create their own Idolmaster merchandise and sell the items officially via Pixiv’s BOOTH platform. The web market will be open from February 1, 2021 until May 31, 2021.
Only certain types of items will be allowed in this market: business cards, card cases, accessories, mugs, tableware, smartphone cases, apparel, clear files, and keychains. The illustrations must also be safe for work and not contain sexual, grotesque, political, or ideological expressions.
Pixiv also opened a Pixiv Factory webpage where people can immediately generate their own merchandise by simply applying official character images provided there. They can purchase the generated items for themselves or even sell them at the above market. However, only those who currently reside in Japan are legally allowed to access the images.
The Idolmaster franchise celebrated its 15th anniversary in July 2020. The newest console game, The Idolmaster: Starlit Season, will be released for PlayStation 4 and PC in 2021. Bandai Namco also recently revealed The Idolmaster: Pop Links, a mobile casual puzzle game that also features a crossover of idols from all 5 active brands: The Idolmaster, Cinderella Girls, Million Live, SideM, and Shiny Colors.
