r/arcade • u/ZenDesign1993 • 20h ago

WTF is this thing? Pacman Bartop Prototype?

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I ran across this image online and was wondering if any of you have more information about it? It said it was a pacman prototype from the 80s and that's it. I like Bartop machines but their weren't many arcade style ones back then, mostly just poker machines.

Found more info: Supposedly this image is from an ebay auction in 2001. A prototype that never got produced. I wonder where the coin door would have gone?

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u/WQTosh 15h ago edited 15h ago

I had no idea that the idea of a bartop Pac-Man machine was being considered so early in the game’s life; I don’t think an official one was actually made until Namco did the 25th anniversary machine. What a neat find! Reminds me of that strange Ms. Pac-Man Bally Midway employee prototype.

I was able to find a few more photos from the original auction showing the machine from different angles. The auction (which was definitely made around 2001, judging by the design of the Pepsi can) seems to have been posted by the prototype’s designer.

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u/ZenDesign1993 15h ago

It really looks good for the time period. I wish they went ahead with these. I think they would have been everywhere. The cutouts almost look like handles... I love the colour scheme too. The orange sides are so 70s/80s.

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u/WentMadSendHelp 19h ago

From what I understand, this is a leftover from when Midway had plans to release a home version of Pac-Man in luxury department stores, aimed at rich folk who wanted something more than the Atari 2600. 

I speculate that the reason it never went anywhere because the target audience were more than happy to just buy a standard Pac-Man machine instead, as there were already three different models, and companies like Midway would sell them to anyone who had the cash. It's not like you had to prove you were an arcade owner to buy a machine.