Pac-Man Released
May 22, 1980 · 20th Century
On May 22, 1980, Namco released Pac-Man in Japanese arcades under the original title Puck Man. Designer Toru Iwatani led a nine-person team beginning in early 1979, aiming to create a game appealing beyond the male-dominated arcade market. The character's shape derived from a pizza with a slice removed. Licensed to Midway for North American distribution, Pac-Man eventually installed over 293,000 cabinets worldwide. The game and its yellow protagonist became defining elements of 1980s popular culture.
Key Figures
Toru IwataniShigeo FunakiToshio Kai
Locations
TokyoChicagoShibuya, Tokyo
Topics
gameJapanarcade games1980svideo game industry
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Pac-Man success as character-driven game with broad audience appeal influenced Nintendo shift toward character-based design leading to Donkey Kong and Mario Bros Mario Bros. (Video Game) Published
Pong created the commercial arcade industry infrastructure that Namco used to distribute Pac-Man eight years later Pong (Video Game)
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