A look at why Pac Man is the most popular video game of all times
When 30 some years ago video games first arrived on the scene, their very novelty made the games instant classics. One of the earliest games was Pong, basically a much simpler version of Tetris but using only horizontal bricks, and having a ball that ricocheted off the top and the sides. When Pac Man arrived on the scene it was a marvel of sophistication and became an instant hit.
There are many aspects to Pac Man that made it an instant hit with consumers. Prior to the introduction of the first arcade video games, the primary games available were pinball machines. Though entertaining and popular these had a large component of success to them. While strategies could be developed, these did not have the guaranteed success that could be found in video games.
Giving the player virtually complete control of the character and success of the individual games gave players the satisfaction of knowing that they could control the games outcome. Being able to build on what they had learned from previous games was a novelty at this time, and cumulative success was emotionally rewarding.
There are several other components that have continued to keep Pac Man an enduring classic. There is something about feeding a character and watching them eat that fulfills some human intrinsic need. Just as a mother is pleased by her little ones good appetite, the Pac Man player feels a sense of success from meeting the character's limitless appetite.
Music is also an important component of the game. As any video maker can tell you, music can either serve to accentuate the mood, or detract from it. The simple but classic tune that accompanies Pac Man play enhances the mood as well as emotionally reinforcing the player's success.
For all these reasons Pac Man quickly zoomed to popularity in the early days of video games, but what has made it such an enduring classic?
Perhaps we can find part of the answer by looking at classics in other areas. Why have scenes from the movie "Psycho" remained an important part of the American psyche? Why has "Rocky Horror Picture Show" grown from its original roots to a cult classic with increasingly complex activities revolving around its showings? Why has the music of the Beatles been so enduring, with its continuing appeal to generations far younger than the Baby Boomers?
For something to become a classic it has to have an appeal that transcends the culture in which it is created. It must have a universal appeal, that fulfills some need of the human psyche. Cult classics such as "Rocky Horror Music Show" create a sense of community among those who feel themselves outside of society's norms. The drug enhanced creation of much of the Beatle's music appeals to the human need to transcend the norms of society that have no reasonable basis.
While it is hard to argue that Pac Man fulfills any strong cultural needs of its players, it is not hard to argue that it taps into fundamental needs of the psyche. A cute abstract character over which the player has complete control, taking something seemingly weak and making it stronger, as well as the simple maze that the Pac Man character moves through all contribute to the games continuing appeal.
The initial video market was almost entirely male. Why men were able to dominate early games with unisex appeal is not entirely clear. Perhaps it was related to the fact that the games first became available in dark, smoky settings where women in the 70's were unlikely to hang out. Or perhaps it was just another instance of male dominance so prevalent in those times.
Pac Man also made an early entrance into the handheld game market. The lack of early competition ensured that the game was owned by almost every early user of the Game Boy, as well as other handhelds as they appeared on the scene.
To broaden the market to appeal to females. Ms. Pac Man was created. While the original Pac Man was generally unisex in appearance, a direct appeal to women and girls was the brain child of the manufacturer. By all measures it seems to have been a successful strategy, and one that has inspired the creation of games that appeal to women as well as men.
Pac Man also provides an easy but rewarding entry into video games for young children. The goals are clear, there is positive feedback from the beginning, and the music makes it an altogether pleasant experience. No matter how sophisticated games become, this simple program provides a nonviolent and positive experience as an entry into the video game playing market.
Great music, ease of control, immediate rewards, simplicity of play and adaptability all combine to make this one of the great video game classics of all time. Add to this the appeal of the cute little figure and the feel of feeding a wide mouthed baby bird, and it is no wonder that this game has had such enduring value.