Toru Iwatani left an indelible mark on gaming history with the creation of Pac-Man. Here are 8 interesting facts about the visionary behind the iconic arcade classic.
He was only 24 when he created Pac-Man
Iwatani was a game designer at Namco when he developed the iconic arcade game in 1980.
Pac-Man was inspired by a missing slice of pizza
Legend has it that Pac-Man’s shape came to him after seeing a pizza with one slice removed, sparking the idea of a character with a mouth.
He wanted to attract female players and couples
Most arcade games at the time focused on violence or space themes. Iwatani deliberately designed Pac-Man to appeal to women and couples, using a cute character and food-based gameplay.
The game’s theme was “eating”
Iwatani chose eating as the game’s central concept because he believed it was a universal concept everyone could relate to.
He wasn’t originally a programmer
Iwatani was trained more in design than programming. He created the concept and worked with a small team to bring it to life technically.
The ghosts in the game were designed with distinct personalities
Each ghost (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde) had unique AI patterns, adding strategy and unpredictability to the gameplay.
He also helped create Pole Position
Following Pac-Man, Iwatani contributed to other Namco titles, including the pioneering racing game Pole Position.
He later became a professor
After his career at Namco ended, Iwatani joined the faculty at Tokyo Polytechnic University, teaching game design and mentoring future developers.
