Close to three decades after its release, Pac Man is still widely popular. It is difficult to imagine that it wasn't highly regarded by marketing executives at a trade show prior to its astronomical success. It may seem as if marketing executives have limited practical knowledge, but the reality is that this Japanese-developed game was truly different from other successful games on the market. Pac Man's unique concept is one attribute that ultimately contributed to its initial success. However, the game's staying power and universal appeal can be attributed to all of the following:
1) Learn-ability
In Pac Man, we have a game that caters for the lowest common denominator, while maintaining the interest of more-advanced minds. The objective is very simple. Eat the dots, eat the pills to eat the ghosts and avoid being eaten by the ghosts. Those simple instructions form the basis of gameplay. Of course, there are other aspects (like strategy or patterns) that one would learn over time, but any novice computer user can learn the game in minutes. Apart from the objective being simple, the controls are really easy too. Just a joystick or cursor keys and you're good to go.
2) Game concept
That Pac Man can be so simple, but remain interesting and entertaining demonstrates that it represents a victory of substance over form. Playing Pac Man is a cerebral activity. Though it's not in the realm of Minesweeper, it engages you throughout. The ghosts move in patterns that we can attempt to figure out. Often, Pac Man gets caught by the ghosts because of a lack of concentration or complacency by the player.
Simple as it is, Pac Man calls for good judgement and several split-second decisions that are usually based on preservation versus bonus points. The use of a maze and provision of tunnels on either side makes avoiding the ghosts even more interesting. There are other challenges, like Pac Man's lower speed when compared to the ghost and the change of direction of the ghosts that surprise less-advanced players. The many choices that we make during gameplay enhance the intrigue and excitement. That could only add to the fundamental appeal of the game.
3) Gender neutrality
Action-oriented games are geared towards young males and teenagers. When Pac Man was first released, it was played by a greater cross-section of the demographic. This was the intention of the creator of this popular video game. The creator of Pac Man wanted to appeal to the market beyond young boys and teenagers. He succeeded in doing so.
4) Reinvention and spin-offs
Reinvention is a strategy that helps maintain relevance in a domain. The ability of Pac Man to produce a number of licensed spin-offs and illegal clones helped to sustain its popularity and interest in the game. Different mazes and more bonus items are just some of the changes implemented in the variations of Pac Man. Ms. Pac Man is arguably the best spin-off from the original. The fact that the original concept could be easily modified and reinvented, without deviated significantly from the original model, is a key factor in its sustainability and widespread success.
5) Uniqueness
Pac Man occupied its own position in the gaming world. The game introduced some humour with the scenes that marked the level-intermissions. The four ghosts employed have an individual character that determined their movement. This made their patterns just a little harder to predict as well. Pac Man was the only game at its inception that could have gone on infinitely as well. Of course, someone would need to have Father Time on payroll to contemplate doing that. Pac Man represented a move away from the conventional games that were geared towards a particular cross-section of the demographic. This is essential what made this game an icon of the 80's. It's no surprise to find that children in the two decades since have found Pac Man and its many clones and spin-offs to be very entertaining.
The aforementioned are the main factors that can be attributed to Pac Man's universally enduring popularity. It combines all the elements that make a game enjoyable, without needing 3-D graphics or a complex sound scheme. For those who create games with an emphasis on sound and graphics, Pac Man is evidence that substance usually triumphs over form.