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Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Caterpillar builds huge Pac-Man maze to celebrate game’s 40th anniversary
www.wpxi.com/news: Caterpillar constructed a larger-than-life Pac-Man board and released a video that shows Caterpillar vehicles negotiating the 151-corner Pac-Man game board, the Journal Star of Peoria reported,
Caterpillar employees needed more than a week to construct the maze, moving 5,000 tons of dirt, the newspaper reported. The maze measures 162 feet wide and 180 feet long, with interior walls standing 4 feet tall.
Labels:
Gaming,
History,
Themed Entertainment,
Video Games
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11 comments:
This is a really fun concept and I was excited to get to read a Newspage article about how the world is falling apart. I think - especially in today’s atmosphere we need events and collaborations like this. It was really cool to hear that there were a lot of plans that would fly overhead during construction because Pac-Man is so hugely recognizable - so there’s really no way to be subtle. The opening shot of the construction worker putting a large arcade coin into the slot to start up the game really gave me a feeling of heavy nostalgia - and I assume this is a similar feeling for many others. I want to commend Caterpillar for using such a fun way to showcase their company - because this level of marketing has left such a memorable imprint in my head that from now on I will likely associate Caterpillar with Pac-Man. I urge everyone to check out the short video that Caterpillar has published online.
This article really made me smile. And mostly because it doesn’t seem like building this Pac-Man maze was for the sole purpose of revenue. It really seemed like they built this for fun and to make their customers smile. Or as they say “to delight and surprise their customers.” It is so refreshing to see a company just having some fun and spending time doing something that really seems like it was just to brighten people’s day. I don’t think I will be in the business for construction equipment anytime soon, but if I am, I think this company will get it because they seem like they know how to have fun and that’s great, (although I don’t know any other construction equipment companies…) They mentioned the planes flying overhead and I really hope people looked out the window and saw the Pac-Man maze. That would be so fun for me if I was on a plane so I hope people got that experience.
This is honestly such a cute tribute. Like, what a great manufacturer-retro nerd collaboration. Also the sentence, “We brought two iconic yellow brands together in a way probably no one else could,” really made me laugh. They were clearly very excited about this. They are very right about their projection to “surprise and delight [their] customers and prospects;” this is such a genius way to do that. It is something that no one would really expect, and the seemingly opposing nature of Pac Man and construction vehicles is something that will definitely surprise. I love it. This is so fun. And it makes me even happier seeing how hyped they are when they talk about it. The video they made is so dramatic and uplifting too. Bonus points for the graphics. Bonus points also for the remote controlled skid steer loaders. It was all very neat and I very much enjoyed watching it.
This article made me laugh so much! That's amazing! Especially since a lot of the articles I read this week were covid oriented and serious, it is nice to read a light-hearted article that reminds us of the fun we can still have. This collaboration reminds me of the giant rubber duck that made its way around rivers around the world: just something fun for people. Through the article, you could see the genuine excitement the workers had doing this, and the video was super intense and hilarious. I feel like there hasn't been much "just for fun" put a smile on your face type things as people have had their mind on much serious matters economically, socially, and medically. I think it is really cute how they did this for the anniversary and it has made me feel really old even though I am just a freshman. I wish I could see this from an aerial view.
There is just nothing quite like a bunch of grown adults playing with heavy machinery to bring back nostalgia from the past. I completely agree with what Elizabeth said about how refreshing it is to just get to read about something fairly meaningless and fun, especially in today's covid world. Perhaps the part of this entire project that I love the most is the fact that the entire thing was done just for fun. The article talks about how people were reacting when seeing the iconic maze from above, and it really was just the people at Caterpillar deciding to do something nice for the world. While this is a great publicity stunt for Caterpillar, it still has a genuine and almost childish charm to the idea that really makes the story enjoyable. My hat goes off to the people that pulled this off in Peoria and I hope more companies find the time to have fun during this whole pandemic.
As a person that loves diving back to childhood memories and watching renewals of any kind of games, this article was such as a pleasure for me to read. To read about the celebration of the game that literally lived about two times more than I did, is just amazing. I don’t know if anyone would still play Pac-Man, but I consider it as almost a cultural icon, since it is something that almost everyone would notice, regardless of their age for most of the time, even if they haven’t played the game (and I am one of these people). For me it is something beyond just a game characters, since it was one of the first similarities to be found between me and my roommate, who have lived across the sea for most of our life. I am glad that the company seems to be indicating this as well, and there are still a lot of people that appreciate this.
This is super fun of Caterpillar. What a great way to showcase some of their technology, celebrate and anniversary, and have some fun while doing it. This is the kind of PR more and more companies need to be thinking about. Purely by getting there name out there they can help drum up all kinds of business. The idea of having fun and using such a widely known and widely played game to do so is a perfect way to do this. As other commenters have pointed out, Pac Man is often more than just a game to people. Pac Man may bring back all kinds of nice memories for people, adding to the effect of the project. This is just another small thing a company is doing to make people smile a little during a time like this. On top of that, it was something fun for their employees to do. This project seems like it was a win all around.
This is super fun of Caterpillar. What a great way to showcase some of their technology, celebrate and anniversary, and have some fun while doing it. This is the kind of PR more and more companies need to be thinking about. Purely by getting there name out there they can help drum up all kinds of business. The idea of having fun and using such a widely known and widely played game to do so is a perfect way to do this. As other commenters have pointed out, Pac Man is often more than just a game to people. Pac Man may bring back all kinds of nice memories for people, adding to the effect of the project. This is just another small thing a company is doing to make people smile a little during a time like this. On top of that, it was something fun for their employees to do. This project seems like it was a win all around.
I always enjoy coming across across a fun and light hearted article amidst the flood of depressing COVID and unemployment articles. As Gabe said, there is nothing quite as funny as grown adults playing with heavy machinery just for the sake of fun. While many instances of this kind of behavior scream 'OSHA violation', this was just good, clean fun. As a marketing move intended to "surprise and delight customers", it was right on the money and I will certainly remember CAT in the future. I especially love that they didn't stop at simply constructing the maze- they also played the game! "Caterpillar 236D3 remote-controlled skid-steer loaders represented Pac-Man and the four 'ghosts' that chased it." Despite this year being super crappy, CAT (and Bandai Namco) really pulled themselves together to create a fun and cool experience for its customers and passers-by. Further, I love that they are so proud that they would "put this video up against any major agency, even some of the stuff the networks do in Hollywood. And the people all live and work right here in Peoria."
This is absolutely wild; I love it and I would love to hear what people flying overheard thought when they saw the maze. I think in times like these, it's good to read something lighthearted and fun without thinking of what negative things could come from it. I liked how they meshed their physical maze with the digital to make it really look like a Pac-Man game, and I can't imagine how they figured out who was gonna play who. I also loved how they were all color coordinated as well. I am curious as to how they removed the vehicles that got eaten, and would have loved to seen video in real time of this. I think the remote driving was also a cool thing because I can't imagine how difficult it would be to physically drive those around the track, let alone with a controller. I was very sad to see the map ruined at the end of the video.
This just goes to show that entertainment and creativity have no true labels. Sure, a giant Pac-Man maze isn't the traditional form of entertainment one would expect, but it is equally as entertaining as any other form. It also just sounds crazy fun! I especially love interactive gaming and immersive experiences, so reading about this real-life representation and celebration of Pac-Man is just exciting to see. I would have loved to see something like that in person. It's also another testament to just how creative the world's artists can be during this time of craziness and uncertainty, which is extremely promising for the future of entertainment. This also gives me amazing ideas for applications to theater and the performance arts. Interactivity is always something I want to strive for, because I believe that nothing is more immersive and fun for audiences than truly being able to connect with the material.
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