<s>
is	O
a	O
Japanese	O
raising	O
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
series	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
24	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
on	O
October	O
27	O
,	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
told	O
from	O
the	O
perspective	O
of	O
a	O
producer	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
leading	O
and	O
training	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
three	O
pop	O
idols	O
to	O
stardom	O
and	O
receive	O
music	O
awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
gameplay	O
,	O
while	O
remaining	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
previous	B-Application
title	I-Application
,	O
features	O
several	O
improvements	O
and	O
differences	O
,	O
including	O
changes	O
in	O
the	O
roster	O
of	O
idol	O
characters	O
and	O
the	O
removal	O
of	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
production	O
began	O
before	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
first	O
2nd	O
Vision	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Dearly	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
,	O
and	O
its	O
staff	O
proceeded	O
with	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
earning	O
the	O
franchise	O
's	O
fans	O
 '	O
continued	O
support	O
and	O
the	O
mindset	O
of	O
creating	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
scratch	O
akin	O
to	O
the	O
original	B-Application
arcade	I-Application
game	I-Application
's	I-Application
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
sold	O
34,621	O
units	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
while	O
its	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
sold	O
65,512	O
units	O
as	O
the	O
third	O
best	O
selling	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
raising	O
simulation	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
producer	O
who	O
works	O
at	O
765	O
Production	O
(	O
765	O
Pro	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
talent	O
agency	O
that	O
represents	O
twelve	O
pop	O
idols	O
who	O
made	O
their	O
debuts	O
half	O
a	O
year	O
before	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
points	O
that	O
each	O
appeal	O
rewards	O
is	O
dependent	O
on	O
the	O
idols	O
 '	O
statistics	O
and	O
the	O
song	O
's	O
tempo	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
a	O
team	O
within	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Games	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
directed	O
by	O
Akihiro	O
Ishihara	O
and	O
Masataka	O
Katō	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
they	O
also	O
decided	O
to	O
recreate	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
scratch	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
fashion	O
to	O
the	O
original	B-Application
arcade	I-Application
game	I-Application
's	I-Application
development	O
process	O
,	O
and	O
made	O
it	O
a	O
goal	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
have	O
the	O
potential	O
to	O
earn	O
the	O
support	O
of	O
fans	O
for	O
another	O
two	O
to	O
three	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
staff	O
began	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
production	O
by	O
first	O
designing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
was	O
finalized	O
soon	O
after	O
development	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
had	O
ended	O
and	O
before	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Dearly	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
was	O
unveiled	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
comparison	O
to	O
The	O
Idolmaster	O
Live	O
For	O
You	O
!,	O
some	O
characters	O
 '	O
hairstyles	O
were	O
changed	O
,	O
and	O
Hibiki	O
Ganaha	O
and	O
Takane	O
Shijou	O
,	O
who	O
made	O
their	O
first	O
appearances	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
as	O
rival	O
characters	O
,	O
were	O
reintroduced	O
as	O
765	O
Production	O
(	O
765	O
Pro	O
)	O
idols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
turn	O
,	O
Ishihara	O
attributed	O
this	O
removal	O
to	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
online	O
connectivity	O
requirements	O
in	O
home	B-Device
video	I-Device
game	I-Device
consoles	I-Device
and	O
the	O
results	O
of	O
a	O
previously	O
conducted	O
survey	O
,	O
which	O
showed	O
that	O
the	O
players	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
's	O
home	O
version	O
enjoyed	O
communicating	O
with	O
idols	O
more	O
than	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
online	O
battle	O
aspect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
also	O
received	O
several	O
graphical	O
improvements	O
over	O
the	O
franchise	O
's	O
previous	O
titles	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
graphical	O
engine	O
received	O
an	O
overhaul	O
to	O
facilitate	O
the	O
additional	O
processing	O
demand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
reduce	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
discrepancy	O
that	O
this	O
created	O
,	O
bloom	O
and	O
flare	O
effects	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
stage	O
performances	O
 '	O
graphics	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
depth	O
of	O
field	O
and	O
soft	O
focus	O
effects	O
previously	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
original	B-Application
Xbox	I-Application
360	I-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
the	O
confetti	O
and	O
steam	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
performances	O
,	O
Maezawa	O
reused	O
the	O
particles	O
engine	O
from	O
DeadStorm	B-Application
Pirates	I-Application
,	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
also	O
released	O
by	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
on	O
July	O
3	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
concert	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
5th	O
Anniversary	O
The	O
World	O
is	O
All	O
One	O
!!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
revealed	O
as	O
the	O
centerpiece	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
's	O
"	O
2nd	O
Vision	O
"	O
set	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
included	O
the	O
previously	O
released	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Dearly	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Games	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
February	O
24	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
in	O
limited	O
and	O
regular	O
editions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
(	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
)	O
version	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
July	O
21	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
magazine	O
Weekly	O
Famitsu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
limited	O
edition	O
contained	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
game	O
,	O
the	O
limited	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
2011	O
anime	O
adaptation	O
's	O
first	O
Blu-ray	O
Disc	O
volume	O
,	O
a	O
container	O
box	O
for	O
the	O
anime	O
adaptation	O
's	O
Blu-ray	O
volumes	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
volume	O
of	O
the	O
spin-off	O
game	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Gravure	O
For	O
You	O
!,	O
a	O
soundtrack	O
CD	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
volume	O
of	O
the	O
magazine	O
,	O
featuring	O
the	O
765	O
Pro	O
idols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
under	O
both	O
Sony	O
The	B-Device
Best	I-Device
and	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Platinum	B-Device
Collection	I-Device
lines	O
of	O
budget-priced	O
video	O
games	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
August	O
2	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
downloadable	O
versions	O
for	O
both	O
platforms	O
followed	O
on	O
February	O
20	O
,	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
