<s>
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
three	O
Japanese	O
raising	O
simulation	O
video	O
games	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
series	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
as	O
,	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
as	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rival	O
idols	O
were	O
introduced	O
into	O
SP	O
because	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
felt	O
that	O
rivals	O
are	O
essential	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
,	O
which	O
also	O
serve	O
to	O
deepen	O
the	O
bonds	O
between	O
the	O
player	O
and	O
an	O
idol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Including	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
game	O
features	O
54	O
songs	O
the	O
idols	O
perform	O
:	O
34	O
songs	O
in	O
original	O
versions	O
and	O
20	O
remixes	O
of	O
those	O
songs	O
,	O
which	O
have	O
been	O
released	O
on	O
several	O
music	O
albums	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
three	O
raising	O
simulation	O
games	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
producer	O
working	O
for	O
the	O
talent	O
agency	O
765	O
Production	O
(	O
765	O
Pro	O
)	O
who	O
is	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
training	O
10	O
prospective	O
pop	O
idols	O
on	O
their	O
way	O
to	O
stardom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
a	O
self-lesson	O
or	O
self-audition	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
inputs	O
a	O
time	O
and	O
date	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
(	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
)	O
will	O
be	O
put	O
into	O
sleep	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
closer	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
to	O
taking	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
out	O
of	O
sleep	O
mode	O
by	O
the	O
specified	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
better	O
the	O
results	O
of	O
the	O
lesson	O
or	O
audition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
and	O
directed	O
by	O
Akihiro	O
Ishihara	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
developing	O
the	O
ports	O
,	O
the	O
staff	O
wanted	O
to	O
reach	O
out	O
to	O
players	O
outside	O
of	O
those	O
who	O
had	O
already	O
played	O
the	O
original	O
arcade	O
game	O
or	O
its	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ishihara	O
felt	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
get	O
closer	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
users	O
in	O
part	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
players	O
who	O
had	O
helped	O
spread	O
the	O
word	O
about	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
,	O
so	O
SP	O
was	O
divided	O
into	O
three	O
versions	O
to	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
buy	O
the	O
version	O
which	O
features	O
their	O
favorite	O
idols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addressing	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
's	O
graphic	O
capabilities	O
compared	O
to	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
being	O
developed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
Ishihara	O
points	O
out	O
that	O
despite	O
what	O
people	O
may	O
think	O
,	O
once	O
the	O
idols	O
start	O
moving	O
,	O
they	O
actually	O
look	O
much	O
better	O
than	O
when	O
viewed	O
as	O
a	O
still	O
image	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ishihara	O
likens	O
the	O
story	O
produce	O
mode	O
first	O
introduced	O
in	O
SP	O
to	O
a	O
strategic	B-Application
simulation	O
game	O
where	O
a	O
large	O
development	O
in	O
the	O
story	O
will	O
occur	O
after	O
one	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
is	O
cleared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
introduction	O
of	O
rivals	O
into	O
SP	O
had	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
Ishihara	O
's	O
view	O
that	O
rivals	O
are	O
essential	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ishihara	O
describes	O
the	O
main	O
theme	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
as	O
having	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
the	O
entertainment	O
industry	O
,	O
and	O
according	O
to	O
him	O
,	O
there	O
needs	O
to	O
occasionally	O
be	O
elements	O
that	O
"	O
shake	O
up	O
"	O
the	O
industry	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
rival	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
later	O
released	O
on	O
Sony	O
's	O
PSP	B-Device
the	I-Device
Best	I-Device
collection	O
on	O
January	O
28	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
and	O
became	O
available	O
for	O
download	O
through	O
the	O
PlayStation	O
Store	O
on	O
October	O
28	O
,	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
released	O
18	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
updates	O
between	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
and	O
July	O
28	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
available	O
through	O
the	O
PlayStation	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
additional	O
DLC	B-Protocol
update	O
originally	O
released	O
with	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Break	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
features	O
34	O
songs	O
in	O
original	O
versions	O
and	O
20	O
remixes	O
of	O
those	O
songs	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
54	O
songs	O
written	O
and	O
composed	O
by	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
songwriters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
of	O
these	O
nine	O
songs	O
were	O
later	O
released	O
in	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
packs	O
so	O
that	O
all	O
the	O
idols	O
could	O
sing	O
them	O
,	O
including	O
Hibiki	O
Ganaha	O
,	O
Miki	O
Hoshii	O
,	O
and	O
Takane	O
Shijō	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
additional	O
eight	O
songs	O
in	O
original	O
versions	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
packs	O
,	O
as	O
were	O
the	O
20	O
remixes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
songs	O
were	O
released	O
by	O
Nippon	O
Columbia	O
on	O
a	O
10-part	O
CD	O
series	O
titled	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Master	O
Special	O
between	O
2008	O
and	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
writing	O
for	O
Famitsu	O
,	O
reviewer	O
Sekai	O
Sandai	O
Miyokawa	O
notes	O
that	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
having	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
training	O
idols	O
,	O
SP	O
being	O
split	O
into	O
three	O
versions	O
may	O
be	O
off-putting	O
for	O
beginners	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
minigames	O
played	O
during	O
the	O
lessons	O
are	O
called	O
"	O
surprisingly	O
difficult	O
,	O
"	O
especially	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
aiming	O
for	O
a	O
perfect	O
score	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
continuous	O
need	O
to	O
take	O
more	O
lessons	O
has	O
been	O
likened	O
to	O
the	O
plots	O
of	O
Star	O
of	O
the	O
Giants	O
and	O
Aim	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ace	I-Application
!	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
a	O
perceived	O
drop	O
in	O
graphical	O
quality	O
compared	O
to	O
previous	O
Idolmaster	O
games	O
developed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
idols	O
 '	O
performances	O
and	O
bountiful	O
facial	O
expressions	O
in	O
SP	O
are	O
praised	O
for	O
their	O
"	O
high	O
quality.	O
"	O
</s>
