Gaming gear brand PowerA partners with Bandai Namco to unveil new licensed gear to celebrate the 45th anniversary of PAC-MAN.
One of the biggest leaders in bringing officially licensed accessories, PowerA partnered with Bandai Namco to celebrate a monumental video game franchise that defined the video game industry. Today, PowerA and Bandai Namco introduced a special lineup of gaming accessories to honour the 45th anniversary of PAC-MAN. The special-edition gaming accessories line called “PowerA x PacMan” will be out for Nintendo Switch and Xbox X|S, all inspired by the game’s universe.
PAC-MAN has been one of the most beloved game series of all time, with one of the most iconic game characters of all time too. The original action maze chase game came out in Japan in July 1980 (and December 1980, worldwide). Game development began in early 1979, led by Toru Iwatani with a nine-man team. The original Japanese title of Puck Man was derived from the Japanese phrase “paku paku taberu,” which refers to gobbling something up. It also matched the sounds that Pac-Man makes while chomping through the various maze levels.
Based on the collaboration reveal, the accessories will feature two controller styles and some PAC-MAN-inspired stickers. The colours and designs will be familiar to fans with the iconic yellow character, nom-nom-ing his way without running into the recognizable ghosts: Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (cyan), and Clyde (orange). The designs took inspiration from some of the best classic levels featured in the many games across decades.
“PAC-MAN has been a cornerstone of gaming culture for more than four decades,” said Sr. Director of Global Marketing at PowerA, Akio Strasser. “We’re thrilled to partner with Bandai Namco to deliver accessories that celebrate PAC-MAN’s rich legacy while offering players both style and performance. While we’re keeping product details under wraps for now, fans can expect collectible, high-quality designs that honour the classic character’s timeless appeal.”
PAC-MAN has appeared across multiple mediums, from films to TV shows to music videos. In 1982, “Weird Al” Yankovic recorded a parody of “Taxman” by the Beatles as “Pac-Man.” Megafans of the iconic virtual band Gorillaz will remember that they released a track titled after the game series with Schoolboy Q to commemorate the game’s 40th anniversary. The iconic yellow character was seen in films Pixels, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Wreck-It Ralph, to name a few.
The PAC-MAN series became a video game culture icon of the 1980s, so much so that it was awarded eight records in the Guinness World Records. One of the biggest records included “Most Successful Coin-Operated Game,” along with having the most “coin-operated arcade machines” installed worldwide. In 2009, the Guinness World Records set the titular character as the most recognizable video game character in the United States—Mario trailing close behind.
Sr. Director, Brand Development at Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. Susan Tran shared how PowerA’s work and reputation matched perfectly to immortalize PAC-MAN for the game series’ 45th celebration: “As PAC-MAN reaches this 45th-anniversary milestone, we’re excited to team up with PowerA. PowerA’s reputation for creating exceptional gaming gear aligns perfectly with our vision of sharing PAC-MAN’s impact and legacy with gamers and collectors worldwide.”
Time and time again, PAC-MAN is a legendary video game franchise. It always finds ways to innovate and adapt to the current game markets. A lot of video games nowadays would not have been possible without this game series. Celebrate with everyone by grabbing one of these collaborative gaming gear products from PowerA and Bandai Namco to show off your franchise support.
