Pac-Man and Google Maps: A Genius Match Google's decision to transform Google Maps into a playground for fans of the retro video game proves that the best ideas don't have to be new ideas.
By Carly Okyle
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Entrepreneurs dream of coming up with the next hot, new thing. Sometimes, though, it doesn't have to be new at all.
Take, for instance, Google Maps, which you can now use as a Pac-Man level. Neither Google Maps nor Pac-Man are new products -- Pac-Man has been around since 1980, and Google Maps came out a decade ago -- but pairing the two together is creative, smart and innovative. It's what every entrepreneur hopes their product will be.
This Google/Pac-Man combination is basically the Reese's peanut butter cup of innovation. Much like chocolate and peanut butter, the products are great on their own, but pairing them together is what makes it deliciously fun.
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Wanna play? Open Google Maps on your browser and click the Pac-Man icon on the bottom left of your screen. Then use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate the streets that have become a Pac-Man level and avoid the ghosts in the neighborhood. It's also a good idea to hide your computer screen from your boss.
The game is only around for a limited time -- though nobody has given a definite end-date -- and Pac-Man only roams in certain neighborhoods, as this article explains.
The key, then, is not to invent a new product, but to see a familiar product in a new way -- and, of course, to always get the bonus fruit.
