New Pac-Man comes to Xbox Live Arcade

Redmond (WA) - As part of the Xbox Live Arcade’s weekly update, a retooled version of Pac-Man has been added to the online store, as a tribute to the retiring founder of the classic arcade game.

Pac-Man Championship Edition stays true to Pac-Man’s roots, adding new maps to the original game that first hit the U.S. more than 27 years ago. It’s the same game that was used in a special Xbox 360 tournament earlier this year in New York.

It’s also a farewell bid to Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man who is retiring from his staff position at Namco to spend more time teaching at a local Japanese university.

Iwatani, who was active in creating the new Pac-Man title, says the future of the video game industry relies on people who currently aren’t working in the gaming field. "For someone thinking outside of the industry, they can have a fresh new idea," he was quoted as saying in a Reuters story.

Pac-Man Championship Edition is available today as a digital download from the Xbox Live Arcade, with a price of around $10.