The arcade games of the 1980s proved that the game market would become huge around the world for years to come 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 labyrinth chase genre, introduced power-ups, featured cut scenes, and opened the games to female audiences. Arcade games prior to 1980 showcased their technological prowess and imagination through games like Pong and Space Invaders. However, the 1980 games showed the world how much money would be made in this field.

The rise of technology

To see how far we’ve come in the realm of video games, 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 released another contestant in the 1980s arcade gaming arena. 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 launches Radar Scope that features a 3D simulated third-person perspective. Atari releases Battlezone, which was later used for US military training (With a few updates, of course. These are just a few of the gameplay advancements that were introduced in 1980’s video games.)

Pac-man is king

Even after all the aforementioned gameplay trailers in other 1980s arcade games, Pac-Man is still the best in its category. It took traditional games 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 animals, Pac Man notebooks, Pac Man posters, Pac Man TV shows. Namco took his place as the granddaddy of arcade games. They showed us not only how to constantly innovate and renew, but also how to cross-sell their innovation across 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.

An omen of things to come

In the years and decades to come, companies would take Namco’s example and use it as the basis for all their future projects. Namco’s plan was the golden template. Simply put, 1980s arcade games set the standard.

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