Editing Pac-Man (section)

==Release==
Location testing for ''Puck Man'' began on May 22, 1980, in Shibuya, Tokyo. Non-gamers responded well to it, finding it easy to learn, while arcade regulars were not impressed.<ref name="Q&A"/> A private showing for the game was done in June, followed by a nationwide release in July.<ref name="Ultimate History"/> Eyeing the game's success in Japan, Namco initialized plans to bring the game to the international market, particularly the United States.<ref name="Dossier"/> Before showing the game to distributors, Namco America made a number of changes, such as altering the names of the ghosts.<ref name="Dossier"/> Another was the game's title, as executives at Namco were worried that vandals would change the "P" in ''Puck Man'' to an "F".<ref name="Ultimate History"/><ref>{{cite web |website=[[Kotaku]] |title=This Guy Has a Rare Arcade Cabinet. Is It Real? |author=Brian Ashcraft |date=October 27, 2011 |url=http://kotaku.com/5853782/this-guy-has-a-rare-arcade-cabinet-is-it-real/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520230643/http://kotaku.com/5853782/this-guy-has-a-rare-arcade-cabinet-is-it-real/ |archive-date=May 20, 2013}}</ref> Masaya Nakamura chose to rename it to ''Pac-Man'', as he felt it was closer to the game's original Japanese title of ''Pakkuman''.<ref name="Ultimate History"/> In Europe, the game was released under both titles.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 1981 |title=Arcade Action: Beat the Machine |url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/158/428 |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |publisher=[[EMAP]] |location=United Kingdom |page=28 |issue=1}}</ref> After ''Puck Man'' was ruled out but before ''Pac-Man'' was decided upon, early American promotional material used the name ''Snapper''.<ref>{{cite web |website=Flyer Fever |title=Namco Video Games Catalog (1978-1980) |date=April 8, 2023 |url=https://www.flyerfever.com/namco-video-games-catalog-1978-1980/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128203320/https://www.flyerfever.com/namco-video-games-catalog-1978-1980/ |archive-date=November 28, 2023}}</ref>

When Namco presented ''Pac-Man'' and ''[[Rally-X]]'' to potential distributors at the 1980 AMOA tradeshow in November,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-11-15.pdf|title=Coin Machines|date=15 November 1980|access-date=20 March 2020|agency=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]}}</ref> executives believed that ''Rally-X'' would be the best-selling game of that year.<ref name="Ultimate History"/><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Atari Spectacularly Fails to Do the Math |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=February 1997 |page=47}}</ref> According to ''[[Play Meter]]'' magazine, both ''Pac-Man'' and ''Rally-X'' received mild attention at the show. Namco had initially approached [[Atari, Inc.|Atari]] to distribute ''Pac-Man'', but Atari refused the offer.<ref name="PM94">{{cite magazine |title=Pac-Man gobbles his way into the industry |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 1994 |volume=20 |issue=13 |pages=22, 24, 26 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-20-number-13-december-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%2013%20-%20December%201994/page/22}}</ref> [[Midway Manufacturing]] subsequently agreed to distribute both ''Pac-Man'' and ''Rally-X'' in North America, announcing their acquisition of the manufacturing rights on November 22<ref>{{cite news |title=Midway Bows New 'Pac-Man' Video |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-11-22.pdf |access-date=20 March 2020 |agency=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date=22 November 1980 |page=42}}</ref> and releasing them in December.<ref>{{cite book |title=Midway Pac-Man Parts and Operating Manual |chapter-url=http://www.arcade-museum.com/manuals-videogames/P/Pac-Man.pdf |access-date=July 20, 2009 |date=December 1980 |publisher=[[Midway Games]] |location=Chicago, Illinois |chapter=Game Board Schematic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923222824/http://www.arcade-museum.com/manuals-videogames/P/Pac-Man.pdf |archive-date=September 23, 2015}}</ref>