Recalling ‘Pac-Man,’ a fine fad from simpler, innocent times

 

Bill Knight column for 6-3, 4 or 5, 2021

 Eleven years ago this week, the Festival of Games in the Netherlands presented a Guinness World Records honor to Toru Iwatani for having the world’s highest number of “coin-operated arcade machines.” The number was then 293,822, and it was “Pac-Man.”

The best-selling and highest-grossing arcade game of all time, “Pac-Man” at first was exclusively an arcade game, soon breaking the mold of' other games by appealing to dedicated and casual gamers alike. The game grew into a booming licensing franchise, as other games, merchandise, and even a television cartoon series featuring its title character appeared in the 1980s.

“Pac-Man” was a re-branded variation of Iwatani’s “Puck-Man” (meaning “Munch Man” in Japanese). It became a classic by stressing nonviolent action, humor and the “personality” of its main character, a bright yellow, dot-gobbling circle. After it was released in the United States in 1980, “Pac-Man” quickly became extremely popular. In a merchandising triumph, the property expanded to include dozens of licensed spin-offs and non­video games.

As for Iwatani, the Japanese native was self-taught in computers, influenced by manga books’ graphics, and just 22 years old when he joined Japanese game publisher Namco in 1977. Within a couple of years, the developer became disappointed in the video-game industry for heavily relying on young male users, who he thought were attracted by typically violent game play. (Arguably, that continues, with the popularity of games such as “Call of Duty,” “Grand Theft Auto” and “Mortal Kombat.”) And for years, “Pac-Man’s” creator showed games could be less violent AND profitable.

Iwatani’s game was released in Japan in 1979, and then licensed and distributed in the United States by Bally's Midway division.

For younger generations, Pac-Man had an insatiable hunger for dots and a fear of ghosts – the onscreen enemies Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde. Players controlled Pac-Man, navigating a maze while munching dots and avoiding ghosts. Pac-Man could also swallow power pills (which would temporarily enable him to eat the ghosts) and fruits, which added bonus points. When all the dots and power pills were consumed, players would progress to the next, more difficult, level.

At the time “Pac-Man” was introduced, most other arcade games involved either killing enemies or destroying objects with weapons, often in outer space. “Pac-Man” was nonviolent; even when he ate a ghost, the ghost wasn’t killed. Instead, its impervious eyes would float back home, where it would then regrow its body. By inventing a new model for video games, “Pac-Man” was able to appeal to both women and men, expanding the game market.

 “Pac-Man’s” success dethroned leading games of the era, such as “Space lnvaders” and “Asteroids,” and was able to endure through an industry slump in the middle of the decade. As the best-known arcade game, “Pac-Man” was exported to many other video-game platforms, including home game consoles, handheld versions, and personal computers. “Pac-Man” also spawned sequels, such as “Ms. Pac-Man,” “Pac-Man Plus,” and “Baby Pac­Man.” While most were not as popular, “Ms. Pac-Man” achieved a level of success and cultural recognition worthy of the original.

 In addition to board, card and video games, licensed “Pac-Man” products included toys, clothes, chalkboards, pillows, erasers, bubble pipes, costumes, shower curtains, pens, jewelry, lunchboxes, bumper stickers and books. The game also inspired a 1982 hit single (Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia's “Pac-Man Fever”) and a Hanna-Barbera cartoon show starring Marty Ingels as Pac-Man, which ran on ABC-TV from 1982 to 1984.

“Pac-Man’s” impact was selling hundreds of thousands of units AND injecting humor while minimizing video violence. The popularity of the Pac-Man character also encouraged other iconic franchise characters such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, and Iwatani’s computer offspring inspired the prominent supporting role in “Pixels,” Christopher Columbus’ family-friendly film from 2015 starring Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, Brian Cox, Sean Bean and Dan Aykroyd, with bits by Hall & Oates, Dan Perkins, Martha Stewart, and Iwatani himself as an Electric Dream Factory repairman.

It’s unlikely screens will see a comparable amusement any time soon.

And that’s too bad for gamers, parents and the culture.