Pac-Man was released as an arcade game by Namco in 1980 and quickly became one of the most recognisable video games in the world. The death sound, heard when a ghost catches Pac-Man, became closely linked with losing a life and starting again. As retro gaming grew online, the short clip was reused in gameplay videos, reaction edits and meme soundboards, where its familiar descending tone could signal failure in seconds. It remains popular because almost anyone recognises it instantly, even without playing the game.