Who created Pac-Man and what inspired the design?
Toru Iwatani created Pac-Man after observing a slice of pizza disappear from his plate in 1979. Iwatani was a 24-year-old employee at Namco tasked with creating a game to appeal to women and couples.
Questions about Pac-Man
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was Pac-Man originally released in Japan and what was its original name?
The game was initially released in Japan on the 22nd of May 1980 under the title Puck Man. The name Puck Man derived from the phrase paku paku taberu which means to gobble something up.
What are the names and behaviors of the four ghosts in Pac-Man?
Blinky is the red ghost who chases Pac-Man directly while Pinky attempts to ambush him. Inky uses a complex strategy to corner the player and Clyde is the orange ghost who switches between chasing and fleeing.
What is the kill screen in Pac-Man and how does it occur?
The kill screen occurs at the 256th level when an integer overflow causes the level to load improperly. This glitch renders the level impossible to complete and has become a legendary part of the game's history.
How much revenue did Pac-Man generate and when did it surpass Star Wars earnings?
Pac-Man generated over $14 billion in revenue making it the highest-grossing arcade game of all time. By 1982 the game had earned an estimated $3.5 billion in quarters surpassing the revenue of the film Star Wars.
When was Pac-Man inducted into the Museum of Modern Art and what cultural impact did it have?
The game was inducted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2012. Pac-Man inspired a hit single called Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia and led to the creation of the Pac-Man defense in business.