As a kid growing up in suburban California, I was obsessed with the Pacman table in our local Chinese restaurant. I could care less about the myriad stand-up video games in the nearby arcade, but I couldn’t get enough of the table Pacman – where instead of playing by yourself you squared off directly against your opponent (in this case, my sister). Technology company Grand Idea Studios clearly harbors a similar nostalgia for vintage table arcade games, and has created this Pacman Dining Table, by recycling an old machine into a new use.
As many of you will notice – the original arcade game that this new design incorporates was already a small table – even in its first life. Essentially, all the designers did was retrofit a new glass slab over the original machine, transforming it from “cocktail table” to a larger dining table.
Although we’re not really digging the yellow-and-purple aesthetic of this particular living room decor, we sure wouldn’t mind having this table in our house for a little between-meals R&R.
The Pacman table comfortably seats four adults, and is enhanced with Clay Cowgill’s MultiPac, allowing up to 24 different game variations to be played while enjoying dinner.
Like the Hard Drive Table we mentioned in the previous post, this design isn’t for sale. We see it as a good DIY inspiration piece, however. Its pretty easy to find vintage arcade games on Ebay and from distributors like Vintage Arcade Superstore, so it wouldn’t be too hard to make something like this yourself – with or without purple and yellow chairs to match.
I love it!!! Would like to find n old “X” and “O” tble foot ball game to do the same thing with.