Arcade Classics
It's such a pleasure for me to have a blog dedicated to arcade machines. Arcade games have been a major part of my life for decades and, to me, it all started with a game of Pac-Man in a dimly lit arcade.
As soon as the screen lit up after my quarter was received, I was hooked. I know that this is also the case for many gamers. Pacman was the gateway to countless of classic titles. It's why I thought a fitting first blog post on my new site would be to cover the history of Pac-Man arcade machines. I think you may be surprised by a few of the things you learn
The first fun fact about Pac-Man is that the game originated in Japan in 1980 under a different name. Puck Man was the brainchild of nine different developers led by Toru Ivatani. In Japanese, the phrase "paku- paku" is used to describe the noise that comes from a person's mouth while eating. This quickly became "puck" in English and Puck Man was born. When Puck Man was picked up for distribution by Midway gaming in 1980, the decision was made to change the name from Puck Man to Pac-Man, amongst concerns that vandalism in arcades would change the letter p to the letter F.
One of the things that makes Pac-Man so magnetic is its ability to appeal to gamers of all different backgrounds. Male, female, young or old, there's something hypnotizing about Pac-Man's quest to collect those dots. This was not a coincidence. The ghosts, desserts, and colors of the game were all implemented in order to attract women and children. During the late 70s and early 80s, almost all gamers were men in their teenage years. Pac-Man broke the mold as a game that was widely accepted by gamers of all different backgrounds.
I hope you enjoyed a bit more info on Pac-Man. Come back next week as I take on Ms. Pac-Man, which may be an even better arcade machine than her predecessor.
Arcade Classics is the leading online manufacturer and retailer for authentic '80s arcade machines. All machines are compatible with your favorite classic arcade games!
