Pac-Man Championship Edition isn't just a fantastic game you should buy if you have an iPhone or 360. It's a perfect example of how Microsoft is needlessly losing in the mobile space to Apple, at least in terms of gaming.
You see, Pac-Man CE was originally launched a major exclusive for Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA). The game was designed by T?ru Iwatani, who invented the series itself. I could be totally wrong about this (and my quick research is devoid of confirmation), but I believe it was the first Pac-Man title he designed since the original. And I know that it was also his last, as Iwatani, following a Microsoft media blitz surrounding CE's launch, retired for good.
In other words, Pac-Man CE—an XBLA exclusive up to today's iPhone announcement—was a big score for XBLA. A game had brought the 360 back to the very roots of modern gaming, but it was updated with all the pizazz of a first, true sequel to the original. Microsoft hiring Namco Bandai/Iwatani for another Pac-Man was the digital equivalent to hiring Michelangelo to sculpt another David.
So why isn't Pac-Man CE coming to the Zune HD today? Why is Zune Marketplace stuffed with the equivalent of Minsweeper and Solitaire when Microsoft has proven their capabilities of inking deals with the greatest, most sought-after game designers in the world?
I simply don't know. Do you? [Kotaku]


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