Happy Birthday Pac-Man!

If you haven't gone to Google today, you may have missed the chance to play the classic arcade game Pac-Man without having to put a quarter into a machine. If you, like myself, grew up during the eighties, you more than likely have played Pac-Man in an arcade or on an Atari. If nothing else, Pac-Man helped thousands of school children in the eighties learn the difference between greater than and less than.

However, the makers of Pac-Man did not just stop at the arcade game. Here's a list of some of the other marketing ideas that the little yellow man generated:

Ms. Pac-Man- After chasing around ghosts for multiple levels, Pac-Man needed to settle down and have a life partner. Ms. Pac-Man came out in 1981, and it was love at first bite.

Pac-Man Jr.- Two years after their marriage, the Pac-Man family had a new addition. This little tyke soon took after his parents footsteps and began chasing ghosts and chasing them around board after board.

Collectors Cards- Not a big baseball fan, but still love the cardboard strength bubble gum? The eighties saw the release of Pac-Man collectors cards, including bubble gum and stickers.

Pac-Man the Saturday morning cartoon- After playing Pac-Man for a few years, the family was given a chance to make it to big leagues and have their own television show. Father, wife and son got to have cameras follow them around while dealing with the pesky ghosts.

Stuffed toys, sleeping bags, and books on tape- Of course, with the birth of Pac-Man Jr., Pac-Man had to make money to make sure Junior had a college fund. Stuffed toys in claw machines and available at carnivals, sleeping bags and bed sheets, and books on tape available from Troll books in grade school were all part of the great Pac-Man marketing machine.

Although the man himself has moved on, he left a great heritage in his wake. So blow out the birthday cake candles, Pac-Man, and enjoy!