Video gamers to rally for Pak Mann Arcade

Twin Galaxies has announced that it has organized a rally to save the Pak Mann Arcade in Pasadena, California. The rally, scheduled for Saturday, May 18, is expected to draw hundreds and possibly thousands of video game and arcade game players. Pak Mann is famous for hosting a number of important arcade game contests throughout its 20-year history, and it is currently facing pressure from Pasadena City Hall to close its doors.

"It's one of the most legendary arcades in America," said Billy Mitchell of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, considered by many to be the world's most famous video game player, having achieved the first "perfect" game on Pac-Man in 1999. "I am coming from Florida to the Pak Mann Arcade on May 18 for the big party and contest. I believe we can help the Pak Mann Arcade convince the city fathers that they should not close down the arcade because it is a historic landmark."

The rally will feature a number of video game champions, including Mitchell and champions on Robotron, Defender, Tony Hawk, Daytona USA, and other games. Supporters hope to convince the City of Pasadena that it is making a mistake in considering the Pak Mann Arcade to be a bad influence on local youth. Instead, they say, the City of Pasadena should be lauding the Pak Mann Arcade as a cultural landmark, a time capsule that memorializes the early 1980s, when every town and city in North America had its own arcade.

"The Pak Mann Arcade is one of America's few remaining classic video game arcades founded during the early 1980s," said The Registry's Walter Day, who also works as chief scorekeeper for Twin Galaxies. "When the Pak Mann Arcade opened up in 1982, America had more than 20,000 arcades. Now, probably less than 100 of those arcades are still in existence, victims of a glutted market and changing gaming habits that now find the public leaning toward home consoles."

Players wishing to show their support for the Pak Mann Arcade can send an e-mail to the mayor's office by addressing it to Ann Erdman, public information officer for the City of Pasadena. Supporters can also send messages directly to the Pak Mann Arcade.

The Pak Mann Arcade is located at 1775 East Colorado Blvd in Pasadena, California. For more information about the May 18 rally, visit the official Twin Galaxies Web site.