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'Fun first': After 40 years, 'PAC-MAN' creator Toru Iwatani's first concern is still for the players
‘Fun first’: After 40 years, ‘PAC-MAN’ creator Toru Iwatani’s first concern is still for the players
By Gene Park
August 3, 2020 at 9:50 a.m. EDT
Even after 40 years, PAC-MAN is unforgettable. The reason is literally as simple as his design.
His creator, Toru Iwatani, thinks of a 17th century haiku, when asked about the importance of audiences identifying with a fictional character, especially when said character’s defining characteristics are simply being round and ravenous. The haiku, written by Matsuo Basho, translates to, “So tranquil is the area, that the sounds of cicadas seeps into the rocks.”
“Varying images come up in everyone’s mind when reading this haiku,” Iwatani, 65, said in an interview with The Post. “Thinking and imagining the serenity of the scene in the haiku instills a sense of joy. People read novels while imagining the scene where the story is taking place. In a similar fashion, simplicity helps people to identify and imagine the character they’re controlling."
The images Iwatani and a team of seven created for the first “PAC-MAN” game in 1980 are forever embedded in pop culture, in part due to how instantly you can relate to the iconography. The first video games, like many of the most popular ones today, were violent and centered around conflict. “PAC-MAN,” instead, would tell a story, open to interpretation.
For millions of others, “PAC-MAN” was a cute and easy distraction from life’s winding paths. For some, it was a reminder that life is a confusing labyrinth where we are either running from or chasing down our ghosts. In the end, all we can do is keep eating.
{snip}
Gene Park
Gene Park is a reporter for The Washington Post, covering video games and gaming culture. He joined The Post in 2015. Follow https://twitter.com/genepark
By Gene Park
August 3, 2020 at 9:50 a.m. EDT
Even after 40 years, PAC-MAN is unforgettable. The reason is literally as simple as his design.
His creator, Toru Iwatani, thinks of a 17th century haiku, when asked about the importance of audiences identifying with a fictional character, especially when said character’s defining characteristics are simply being round and ravenous. The haiku, written by Matsuo Basho, translates to, “So tranquil is the area, that the sounds of cicadas seeps into the rocks.”
“Varying images come up in everyone’s mind when reading this haiku,” Iwatani, 65, said in an interview with The Post. “Thinking and imagining the serenity of the scene in the haiku instills a sense of joy. People read novels while imagining the scene where the story is taking place. In a similar fashion, simplicity helps people to identify and imagine the character they’re controlling."
The images Iwatani and a team of seven created for the first “PAC-MAN” game in 1980 are forever embedded in pop culture, in part due to how instantly you can relate to the iconography. The first video games, like many of the most popular ones today, were violent and centered around conflict. “PAC-MAN,” instead, would tell a story, open to interpretation.
For millions of others, “PAC-MAN” was a cute and easy distraction from life’s winding paths. For some, it was a reminder that life is a confusing labyrinth where we are either running from or chasing down our ghosts. In the end, all we can do is keep eating.
{snip}
Gene Park
Gene Park is a reporter for The Washington Post, covering video games and gaming culture. He joined The Post in 2015. Follow https://twitter.com/genepark
