There’s nothing quite like an anniversary announcement to remind you just how old gaming is, and 40 years? Astonishing. For this special 40th anniversary of the beloved Pac-Man, Bandai Namco Entertainment has partnered up with the NBA (National Basketball Association) to celebrate four decades of the ghost muncher.
According to Business Wire:
Leading interactive entertainment company BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., creator of PAC-MAN, today announced an innovative new partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to collaborate on a myriad of NBA-themed video game integrations and various co-branded PAC-MAN and NBA licensed products in celebration of PAC-MAN’s 40th anniversary.
For a little more information on just what this means, Bussiness Wire goes on to share:
Throughout the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season, the collaboration will offer numerous points-of-engagement for fans to enjoy their favorite video game icon and sports league in unison, leveraging the global appeal of both PAC-MAN and the NBA. Starting on December 22nd, fans can begin enjoying the NBA inspired game content featuring fun power-ups and special mazes in the PAC-MAN mobile game – available on iOS and Android.
The December 22 date given is the start of the upcoming 2020-2021 NBA season so the partnership plans are beginning right away.
While the only specific information given is crossover with the mobile game, it can be expected there will be some Pac-Man merchandise set to be released during this NBA season.
40 years is a big deal and shows off just how much of an influence Pac-Man has had over gaming now heading towards its 50th decade.
Do you have a personal Pac-Man story you’d like to share with us? Drop it in the comments below as we all share our love that’s still going 40 years strong.
If you want more news on the yellow cheese wheel, just recently Pac-Man became a battle royale on Google Stadia.