Why Pac-Man Became a Big Hit

I’ve gotta say that I was a little skeptical when Phil Edwards started out this video saying that he wasn’t going to talk about Pac-Man’s gameplay as a vital component of why it was such a huge success when in came out in 1980. He allows that, of course, the gameplay was very compelling but other factors truly pushed the game beyond the competition and into its own category, including the decline of pinball (profit per square foot), its family friendliness, and some legal & financial maneuverings.

Oh, and here’s the playable keychain-sized Pac-Man that you can see in the video. Didn’t even know that was a thing!

• Pac-Man
• Phil Edwards
• video
• video games