From the mind of Japanese game developer Toru Iwatani came one of the most iconic games to date: Pac-man (known in Japan as “Pakkuman”, which is named after the Japanese word for opening and closing one’s mouth, pronounced “pakupaku”). Published by Namco games and introduced to the US by late 1980 (after the original English name “Puck-man” was changed due to it being very easily vandalized), Pac-man was an instant, overnight sensation. Being targeted to both women and men—unlike any earlier video games—and with its bright, flashy design, colors, and music, Pac-man sold 350,000 arcade machines and made $2.5 billion in just a couple years after its release. Loved especially by youths, an estimated 30 million Americans were actively playing Pac-man by 1982.
However, like any crazy new fad enjoyed by youths, the popularity of video games, particularly from Pac-man, was looked down upon by older generations. Just as Rock n’ Roll had been criticized in the 1950s, Pac-man also sparked plenty of outrage from adults. Educators, media commentators, and even government officials protested that video games would harm children’s eyes, incite violence among adolescents, would get kids addicted just like a drug, and would decrease school performance and social interaction between youths—all of which is commonly reflected today. In addition, arcades were stigmatized and perceived as places for lowlifes and illicit activity.
Despite the initial criticism, Pac-man cemented itself in modern pop culture, bringing joy and creating memories among generations to come after its release. It even got mixed with the medium of television with its TV spin-off Pac-man: The Animated Series, which aired from 1982 to 1984. Today, it would be rare to come across someone who is unable to recognize the name and face of Pac-man, with the iconic video game having influenced so many more modern games that, in turn, continue to influence kids for generations to come.
I never knew that Pac-man originated in Japan and came into the US during the late 1980s. I thought that it was interesting how your post talked about the different ways Pac-man was pronounced and how they even had to change Puck-man, the original English word for Pac-man, due to its easy vandalism. It is interesting to note that Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-man, was inspired to create the game while he was eating pizza. He saw that the pizza was missing some slices and thus created the iconic shape of Pac-man.
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I thought this blog was post was very good. One thing I wanted to learn more about was the game's influence. Pac-man was super influential because it helped broaden the audience of video games. Previously, many video games were targeted to male audiences and were based around violence. Pac-man was targeted to both females and males and did not have much violence. As a result, the game reached a wide audience. This helped make video games more popular, and as a result, Pac-man is considered one of the most influential video games of all time.
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https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pac-Man-1688279