Pac-Man (1980): Toru Iwatani's Maze Game That Everyone Could Love
Namco set out to make an arcade game for players who weren't into shooting aliens.
When Namco released Pac-Man in Japan in May 1980, arcades were full of space shooters. Designer Toru Iwatani wanted something different: a friendly game about eating, which would appeal to a wider audience, including women and couples.
From Puck Man to Pac-Man
The Japanese release was called Puck Man. For the US, Midway's version was renamed Pac-Man, partly to stop vandals altering the "P" on cabinets.
Four ghosts, four personalities
Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde each chase Pac-Man in their own way: one hunts directly, one tries to get ahead of you, and the others are less predictable. That simple AI made each chase feel alive and kept players learning patterns.
A record breaker
Pac-Man became one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time and spawned merchandise, a cartoon and countless sequels, starting with Ms. Pac-Man. It was one of the first true game mascots.
Reference: Wikipedia, Pac-Man and Toru Iwatani.