« IGNIQ.com Gaming News Page - *Send your stories/links*
Advertisements
Pac Man's 25th Birthday, And We Salute Him - 12.5.05
Pac Man just recently celebrated his 25th anniversary in the gaming industry. Hard to believe it but the game itself is nearly as old as myself. Many an afternoon was spent by many a gaming fan munching power pills and running like hell from those flashing dots that represented your enemy.
According to video-game organization Twin Galaxies, Pac Man has been played on arcade machines more than 10 billion times in the 20th century.
Pac Man changed the psychological profile of the average person," explains Twin Galaxies' founder Walter Day. "Suddenly old and young, male and female, doctors, dentists, lawyers and housewives found it acceptable to be playing a video game. And Pac Man opened that door for them. Despite the fact that it was technologically advanced, it was as simple as playing a card game for them.
The little yellow hero has been a profitable endeavour over the last quarter century and Namco plan on seeing that trend continue with 4 more Pac Man titles announced for next-gen arcade machines.Namco are keen to release another four Pac Man games in the near future, with a PSP version waiting to be announced. "I think there's a high nostalgia value with Pac Man -- a lot more so than many classic characters," said Sean Mylett, senior marketing manager for Namco. "I think Pac Man is a game where people really remember being younger and pumping quarters and quarters into machines. ... Then there's another level with the 'Pac Man World 3' character. He's an E-rated character. He's very colorful, very safe. It's definitely different than the trends going on in games. He just has an appeal." And while more then a few of the attempts to repeat the phenomenal success of Pac Man in the early eighties have been less than triumphant, a character this well-loved and recognized is sure to live on for many more years to come.Happy Birthday Pac Man.
Read on
Pac-Man Pinball is No-Go for DS
Pre-E3 2005: Pac-Man World 3
Discussion >>
Search
04 April 2004 13 June 2004 20 June 2004 04 July 2004 11 July 2004 18 July 2004 25 July 2004 01 August 2004 08 August 2004 15 August 2004 22 August 2004 29 August 2004 05 September 2004 12 September 2004 19 September 2004 26 September 2004 03 October 2004 10 October 2004 17 October 2004 24 October 2004 31 October 2004 07 November 2004 14 November 2004 21 November 2004 28 November 2004 05 December 2004 12 December 2004 19 December 2004 26 December 2004 02 January 2005 09 January 2005 16 January 2005 23 January 2005 30 January 2005 06 February 2005 13 February 2005 20 February 2005 27 February 2005 06 March 2005 13 March 2005 20 March 2005 27 March 2005 03 April 2005 10 April 2005 17 April 2005 24 April 2005 01 May 2005 08 May 2005
