Just wanted to point out that the myth of Pac-Man's creation is just that, a myth. Steve Kent, who I consider to be the authority on this stuff and has penned books on video game history, notes on the G4 Icons program on Pac-Man that Mr. Iwatani said in an interview back in 1981 that he "wished he had seen a pizza and thought of Pac-Man". Apparently, the legend was adopted after the fact.
In the article, they also claim he wanted to make a game that was like a cartoon. That's also not true according to Kent on Icons. The idea was to create a game around eating as that would have a more universal appeal with both men and women. Obviously, the idea was a good one and the higher ups at Namco believed it would sell.
Finally, the Salon article says it was someone at Bally/Midway that decided on the name change from Puck Man to Pac-Man. That's also not true. Kent notes that it was the top guy at Namco (who's name escapes me) that believed Americans, and I quote, "with their proclivities" would deface the machines and change it to Fuck Man.
So beware revisionist history of the game industry as written at Salon.
--Dave
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