Members of the Daion Taiko from the Orange County Buddhist Church perform beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Hashi family poses for a photo with Pac Man during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. Pictured, from left, Freddie Hashi, wife Lesley, and daughters Emma, 12
and Aya, 14. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tiffany Davila, left, of Face Painting by Tiffany spray paints a Pac Man tattoo on the arm of Madelyn Dunlap, 3, of Lake Forest during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Madelyn Dunlap, 3. shows off her spray painted Pac Man tattoo at the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Irvine Spectrum visitors pass by large Pac Man during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Daion Taiko from the Orange County Buddhist Church perform beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tiffany Davila, left, of Face Painting by Tiffany laughs with a girl that just had a Pac Man tattoo spray painted on her arm by Davila during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Woodland High School jazz band performs during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman plays Pac Man on a large video screen during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A photo with Pac Man emerges from the printer during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Andrew Tran, 26, of Long Beach, left, and Chiaki Lu of Los Angeles put together Bandai character models at the Bandai hobby workshop booth during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Irvine Spectrum visitors pass by large Pac Man during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Woodland High School jazz band performs during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Hundreds gathered below the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum for the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Even though Pac Man was on a break Mayra Garcia, center, and her children, from left, Eevee, 5, Ellie, 3-months and Ethan, 11, posed for a photo in the Pac Man photo booth during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests put together Bandai character models at the Bandai hobby workshop booth during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jessica Lim and husband Xavier Lim of Stanton mistime their jump for a photo booth picture with Pac Man during the Bandai Namco’s “Welcome to the PAC!” event beneath the Spectrum Giant Wheel in Irvine on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Irvine is now the home of several games and toys many people are nostalgic for: video games such as Pac-Man and Galaga and those little electronic Tamagotchi pets you try to keep alive.
All fall under the banner of Bandai Namco, which recently gathered all of its companies at new headquarters in Irvine. The company also has popular new titles, including the newly released Elden Ring, a role playing action game in collaboration with fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, known for his “Game of Thrones” series.
On Sunday, it celebrated its new venture in Orange County with a community festival, Welcome to the PAC, at the Irvine Spectrum that featured video game demos, a model hobby workshop, entertainment, activities for families and photo ops with its most popular characters.
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