# Stardom 3

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 1611410
- Developer: SOFTSTAR ENTERTAINMENT
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Casual · List price: $12.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $702 to $1.1k per month (mid $877)
- Opportunity score: $2.3k/month at x2.60 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 50.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $165.0k
- Review sentiment: 94% positive across 1687 reviews (1592 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 10.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 3.9 years
- Studio active elsewhere (14 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 4.5 years ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)
- No Steam discount in 4.0 years (deepest tracked: -0%)

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $1.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $1.4k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $877 |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

21, 20, 21, 15, 24, 15, 15, 18, 11, 10, 14, 21, 13, 11, 21, 6, 7, 8, 7, 12, 15, 7, 13, 11

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 12 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$6.6k net in total, assuming a unit uplift of x3.0 (industry-typical for old catalog titles). Same ±30-50% error range applies.

## Estimated acquisition range

$21.1k to $42.1k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $10.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- english: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 97%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Stardom 3 is a casual idol-management sim from Softstar Entertainment where players nurture and train virtual performers.

Stardom 3 has quietly maintained 93.9% positive sentiment and ~$877/mo residual revenue across 51k lifetime units despite zero marketing push in 48 months. The community is explicitly vocal about wanting legacy franchise entries (Sweet Melody) ported to Steam, signaling both nostalgia and IP franchise potential. For a strategic buyer, this represents a dormant but culturally resonant franchise with proven Asia-Pacific appeal and minimal ongoing support cost, though the studio itself shows fading momentum.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Risk (market): Casual idol-management genre is congested; player acquisition cost may exceed residual revenue in a revival campaign.
- Risk (other): Developer studio shows fading status with 7 titles total and 46+ months since last developer communication; IP stewardship uncertain.
- Risk (tech): 53+ months since last build with zero sales in 12m suggests potential engine or platform compatibility drift.

What players are asking for:
- Port legacy Stardom franchise titles (Sweet Melody) to Steam
- Franchise revival with new entry or remaster
- Cross-platform mobile/console availability

Suggested first moves:
1. License the Stardom IP and back catalog from Softstar; audit Sweet Melody and earlier entries for Steam viability and regional licensing constraints.
2. Conduct lightweight audience survey in Asia-Pacific markets (especially mainland China and Taiwan, per review language distribution) on franchise appetite for mobile port or free-to-play idol-management tie-in.
3. Evaluate whether Stardom 3 code and assets can support a lightweight seasonal content drop (cosmetics, story chapters) at <$50k cost to test community re-engagement before major revival commitment.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/1611410
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.