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.
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