Game On! Caterpillar Inc. and PAC-MAN™ Team Up for The Cat Trial #9: PAC-MAN™
Caterpillar Inc. has revived The Cat Trials, a series of eight short films demonstrating the capabilities of the company's machines through different challenges. Now, six years later, Caterpillar is at it again with the release of The Cat Trial #9: PAC-MAN™ released on October 20, 2020.
FORT ATKINSON, Wis., Oct. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Caterpillar Inc. has revived The Cat Trials, a series of eight short films demonstrating the capabilities of the company's machines through different challenges. Launched in 2014, The Cat Trials included an 8-ton game of Jenga® carried out by five operators utilizing different Cat equipment and building a sandcastle over 41 ft. tall, both winning Guinness World Records. Now, six years later, Caterpillar is at it again with the release of The Cat Trial #9: PAC-MAN™ released on October 20, 2020.
With the original Trials, using Caterpillar equipment as the star of the show, the company set out to educate the public on the equipment's cutting-edge capabilities for precision and maneuverability. With The Cat Trial #9: PAC-MAN™, the concentration is on Caterpillar's services in the form of in-game power pellets representing Cat Customer Value Agreements, Repair Options, Cat Financial, and the Cat App, while appealing to the next generation of operators.
"In an industry that is struggling to find skilled operators right now, we wanted to showcase what work will look like in the future for the construction industry," said Victoria Keese Morrissey, Global Marketing and Brand Director at Caterpillar, Inc. "Our future operators and technicians are people who play video games today. We wanted to show them that what you can do in the virtual world, you can do in the real world—and that's going to help bring in the next generation of workers to the industry."
The partnership was a win-win for Bandai Namco, creator of PAC-MAN™, as the brand is taking part in a year-long celebration commemorating the 40 years the game has been a part of pop culture.
"PAC-MAN™ has been a household name for four decades now and we hope this video will inspire a new generation of both gamers and equipment operators to "Join The PAC" and share in the excitement of the game for another forty years," said Yasuo Miyakawa, Chief PAC-MAN™ Officer for Bandai Namco Entertainment, owners of the PAC-MAN™ brand.
The idea to merge Caterpillar products and PAC-MAN™ came from the success of previous trials. "This is our 95th anniversary year," said J. Archie Lyons, Brand Strategy and Activation Creative Director of The Cat Trials. "We looked back and said, what do our fans really love? The Cat Trials program. Automation and services were key topics people wanted to see, so what better way to show automation than PAC-MAN™. It's been fun to integrate the two brands together."
During the video, five players race their machines around an exact 3D replica of the iconic PAC-MAN™ board to simulate gameplay of the original arcade game. The movement is all done through remote control operation far above the constructed maze, utilizing 236D3 skid steer loaders from The Cat Rental Store.
It took a Caterpillar 336 Next Gen Excavator 70 man-hours to dig the actual gameboard, utilizing 6,880 yards of cut dirt to dig the maze and berm for a total of 5,300 tons of earth. The inside height of the walls measure 4 ft. high with an overall gameboard size of 162.4 by 180.4 ft.
"We look at PAC-MAN™ as a construction site," Lyons said. "The ghosts are the challenges our customers face every day, you never know what is around the corner, just like PAC-MAN™ doesn't. He [PAC-MAN™] uses power pellets to take on the challenges, and we [Caterpillar] offer up CAT dealer services."
Players for Trial 9 included:
- PAC-MAN™: Customer – Jim Kosner, JIMAX – Landscaping & Demolition/Operates Cat Remote Equipment
- Blinky: NASCAR/RCR eSports – Joey Stone – Drives the #8 Cat Car on the virtual track
- Inky: Customer – Alfonso Farjardo of Horsepower Site Survey – Global Operator Challenge Regional Finalist
- Pinky: Social Influencer – BLITZ – YouTube Gaming Content Creator and Civil Engineer
- Clyde: Social Influencer/Customer – Tom Gardocki – The Dirt Ninja
The creation of the video was fun and educational for everyone involved, especially for famous YouTube gamer, Blitz.
"My earliest gaming moment was playing PAC-MAN™ with my mom at the laundromat," BLITZ who plays Pinky in the video said. "I grew up around the construction industry and have both engineering and skid steer operating experience and the transition was seamless from moving a gaming joystick in my office to a remote one here. Controlling actual construction equipment this way is a very cool and very easy transition."
Whether you're a skilled equipment operator, video game enthusiast or just enjoy watching two minutes of fun, The Cat Trial #9: PAC-MAN™ is sure to bring enjoyment to your day. Watch for yourself here.
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About Caterpillar
Since 1925, Caterpillar Inc. has been helping our customers build a better world – making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2019 sales and revenues of $53.8 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Services offered throughout the product life cycle, cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise set Caterpillar apart, providing exceptional value to help our customers succeed. The company principally operates through three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation – and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
About PAC-MAN
Born on May 22, 1980, PAC-MAN™ immediately rose to meteoric popularity, first in video game arcades, then on the pop culture stage and through an array of branding and entertainment appearances throughout the 1980's and 1990's. With a brand recognition rate of 90% around the world, PAC-MAN's™ image and brand continues to be one of the most beloved and recognized on the planet.
To learn more about PAC-MAN'S™ 40th Anniversary celebrations, please visit: https://www.pacman.com/en/. You can also follow PAC-MAN™ on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pacman/, on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/officialpacman?lang=en , or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/officialpacman/?hl=en.
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry's top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or http://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.-
SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.
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