Pop Japan

Almost all of us have, most probably, played Pac-man, at least once in our lifetime. The phenomenal addictive game was actually the brainchild of video game designer, Toru Iwatani.

Toru Iwatani was born on January 25, 1955 in Tokyo.It may be hard to believe, but Iwatani actually had no formal training in video game design. But he started a career in video games anyway in 1977 in the computer software company, Namco.

Aside from Pac-man, Iwatani has also been known for another successful arcade game, Pole Position.

His success in video game design led him to become a visiting professor in Osaka University of Arts, and had become a full-time professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University.

Photo by Official GDC. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Tags: Toru iwatani, pac man, video game, arcade game, pole position, osaka university of arts, tokyo polytechnic university