1980’s Arcade Games: Video Domination
The arcade games of 1980 proved that the gaming market would become huge all over the world in the next few years with no signs of stopping. This, of course, was extremely evident in the release of the highest-grossing game of all time. This was also announced as the first mascot character. Pac-Man was an international phenomenon that also ushered in the maze chase genre, introduced power-ups, featured cut-scenes, and opened up the games to female audiences. Pre-1980 arcade games showcased their technological prowess and imagination through games like Pong and Space Invaders. However, the 1980 games showed the world how much money could be made on this course.
The rise of technology
To see how far we’ve come in gaming, all you have to do is look back to the 1980s to see how far we’ve come. The arcade games of the 1980s pave the way for standardized games for decades to come. Namco launched another contestant in the arcade game arena in 1980. Rally-X became the first game to introduce a bonus round and multi-directional scrolling feature. Universal releases Space Panic, which many cite as the first platform game. Nintendo releases Radar Scope, which features a simulated 3D third-person perspective. Atari releases Battlezone, which was later used for US military training (with some improvements, of course. These are just a few of the game advancements that made it into 1980s video games).
Pac-Man is the king
Even after all the aforementioned gameplay advancements in other 1980’s arcade games, Pac-Man is still the best in its category. It took traditional gaming to that point and not only introduced many never-before-seen features, it crossed retail lines by having the first gaming mascot character in history. There were Pac Man lunch boxes, Pac Man stuffed toys, Pac Man notebooks, Pac Man posters, Pac Man TV shows. Namco took his place as the grandfather of arcade games. They showed us not only how to constantly innovate and do new things, but also how to cross-sell their innovation through various retail markets. It was thanks to the arcade games of the 1980s that we see the video game market as we see it today.
A harbinger of things to come
In the years and decades to come, companies will take Namco’s example and use it as the basis for all their future projects. Namco’s plan was the golden template. Simply put, 1980’s arcade games set the standard.