Pac-Man was an arcade game developed by Namco and first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. It was created by Namco, a Japanese video game company known for games like Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga. After the success of the original, numerous Pac-Man recreations were made, though overuse led to diminishing returns until Namco's later hits like Finest Hour and Metal Gear revived its fortunes.