Were you any good at those claw machine games?

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

We all know that (the vast majority of) these are rigged, but that's also part of the fun, isn't it? There may even be something noble about playing anyway, succeeding in the face of overwhelming odds... Or maybe not. But, whatever the case, these are fun to challenge.

Ever won anything from these? I once got a teddy bear on my third try. I was on top of the fucking world, man XD

 

[Nelson2001 Nelson2001]

Honestly, I'm terrible playing on the claw machines, I never get a good grip on the object/prize I want to have but, well.

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

They are all a scam IMO, once they start moving towards the drop chute you can see them loosen their grip and rob you of your quarters.

 

[Sir Auriel of Lionel]

I usually walked away with a win by the 5th attempt now they have instant win mode if you feed it an amount nearly the worth of a combo meal at a fastfood joint to keep playing until you bag your prize. I would say this is insulting to the skill if the machines weren't rigged from the start but that's a terrible arrangement to make. That you can just buy a cheaply made toy when the store you might be playing the claw machine in might have a better and cheaper toy to buy from or at least a smidge better in quality.

 

[pauringu]

if i'm at a claw machine arcade, you can find me in the gashapon section; random, but at least guaranteed prizes

 

[prnzoDraGoonZweiOrta]

I flip the claw off the entire time for dubious good luck. If I succeed in spite of that - fuck the prize; I get a good laugh as I get bombed goin back through the parts of the arcade that matter.

 

[NeonKnights]

I would have some motive to try to become skilled at these if I lived in Japan, or if these machines actually offered some good prizes as an incentive, or if there was some element of fairness to the operation as seems to be the case in some game centers in Japan. The ones I have seen all are filled with cheap bottom of the barrel plushies and other trinkets of little worth. Is it too much to ask for them to put a Hatsune Miku figure in one of these or something like that. Also services like Toreba are nice, though I find these far less preferable to just standing in front of the machine myself.

 

[KlyntarKnull]

Honestly, I've won a few of these in recent years, and I think part of the skill of the game comes from reconizing what is winnable and what is not. If you look for stuff that is sticking out and kind of already near the chute, it's a lot easier than trying to go for something a little bit further back. The tricky part is some stuff looks winnable, but the claw won't actually go very close to any of the edges.

 

[Adrastia]

I've never won a single thing. They're rigged.

 

[Stingy Perry Stingy Perry]

Nope I really suck at it!
Way worse than me playing a platformer game and I do really sucked at those. Maybe I’ll win 1 in every 30-40 tries.

 

[RageBurner]

Not really. Not that I tried often, as they are rigged to force people to fail most of the time.

 

[wilddogsdivorce]

there was one at a grocery store near me that had the odds set wayyyyy too high, and just 50 cents a try too. the stuffed toys in it weren't really all that great but it was a fun time getting them anyway. you don't really see those in the grocery stores anymore post-covid though.

 

[Required Username]

So many misconceptions about these machines. Whether or not they're "rigged" (and by how much) is entirely dependent on the operator and how much of a prick they want to be.

Many people have terrible claw placement and would never have had a winning grab even with an un-rigged claw.

 

[ciro64]

I got a cute penguin by it's hanging loop once, it was very satisfying. I think I still have it today. But that's about my only victory, and not by lack of try.

My dad is really good at these though. There was a time he would bring new ones regularly.

 

[Graw]

 

[nyka]

I could never win them but I had an uncle that swears he "knows the trick"...and ya know; his closet full of crane machine plushes seems to suggest he isn't lying..but he kept that secret close to chest T_T

 

[alpha_wolf24]

it depends on the machine. i know some have adjustable grip strength every X amount of plays. generally though the one i use the most (a general one thats in a local mall food court) id say i win about once every 7 tries or so (mind you its not back to back usually ill do about 4 or 5 tries (i think its either 50 cents or a dollar a try, generally i try not to spend more than $5 or so if that even i know its a bit of a scam but theres worse things to blow your money on)) any how about once every 4 times i give it a whirl which is roundabout 7 tries at that point. of course i dont know if im the only one using it or not since that mall is kinda in an area i only go once every few weeks if that so im not there all the time (id imagine though at least a good handful of people take a crack at it in between my tries since its in the middle of the food court which sees a fair amount of traffic for a not as high priority mall (its not quite dead per se but its not exactly thriving either). thats the one i usually try. maybe the UFO catchers at Round 1 whenever i make the pilgrimage to the area Round 1 is at near me. maybe Dave and Busters too but again similar results there (although i imagine more people use those machines than the one in the mall food court). used to use the ones at the front of my Wal-Mart before they got rid of them. id say it was about once every 10 plays or so there (generaly id pop a dollar in after our shopping if i had one).

 

[legsrjust4show]

DEPENDS ON THE MACHINE! Somehow every time I do a big yearly meetup with friends we keep running into these game shops that are full of claw machine games and I keep winning in them.

Now the truth is that most of them are genuine scams. If it's some little tiny claw arms that rattle like crazy when it moves slightly, then it is most definitely a scam that actually grips things once you put enough money in.

But one of those SEGA branded like ones with the big plastic claws that don't look like they're just gonna drop something immediately? It's probably still the same scam, but of the nine times I played I did win like six times at this place in Toronto.

 

[alpha_wolf24]

DEPENDS ON THE MACHINE! Somehow every time I do a big yearly meetup with friends we keep running into these game shops that are full of claw machine games and I keep winning in them.

Now the truth is that most of them are genuine scams. If it's some little tiny claw arms that rattle like crazy when it moves slightly, then it is most definitely a scam that actually grips things once you put enough money in.

But one of those SEGA branded like ones with the big plastic claws that don't look like they're just gonna drop something immediately? It's probably still the same scam, but of the nine times I played I did win like six times at this place in Toronto.

generally the UFO catchers are more "fair" but they have more of a knack to them than the three or four pronged ones you often see over here. still i believe most of them are set by the operator. i remember looking into it. most of them alter the strength every X amount of plays (usually roundabout 7 or 10 but it varies from machine to machine). this means its weaker at the start of the cycle and stronger twords the end. you could try to figure it out but the truth is unless you dedicate the time to observing the machine (which lets be real unless you have absolutely nothing else to do youre not gonna do) youre never gonna fully know the cycle.

 

[RageBurner]

So many misconceptions about these machines. Whether or not they're "rigged" (and by how much) is entirely dependent on the operator and how much of a prick they want to be.

Many people have terrible claw placement and would never have had a winning grab even with an un-rigged claw.

Operator configured rigging is still rigging. The fact it can be done is the issue moreso than how much it is.

After all, the purpose is profit, and the most profit is gained from a well crafted illusion of a fair chance.

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

Yeah, its like a slot machine with an added skill component on top of it. Insert X number of coins and eventually it will give out a payout. Good luck figuring out when that payout happens, though.

 

[Required Username]

Operator configured rigging is still rigging. The fact it can be done is the issue moreso than how much it is.

After all, the purpose is profit, and the most profit is gained from a well crafted illusion of a fair chance.

No argument, but I'll throw-in that there do exist "unlimited play/play-until-you-win" cranes, where you can keep going until you win a prize. There's no point in operators rigging those since they already have your money.

Yeah, its like a slot machine with an added skill component on top of it. Insert X number of coins and eventually it will give out a payout. Good luck figuring out when that payout happens, though.

I'm sure there's advanced cranes out there, but all the "standard" ones I've ever seen merely give you control over the claw strength for every play. There's no setting to make it easier/instant win after X plays.

 

[RageBurner]

No argument, but I'll throw-in that there do exist "unlimited play/play-until-you-win" cranes, where you can keep going until you win a prize. There's no point in operators rigging those since they already have your money.

That's true too, and like you mentioned in a previous post, player skill is still a factor. I'd probably bump the prize away and never see it again, hahah.

 

[CyberRabbit]

I got scammed out of hundreds of dollars by these stupid money takers, but 99% of gamblers quit before they win big so I’m never stopping baby!!!

 

[ookamij64]

Rigged or not, I always had bad luck involving anything to do with luck. Claw machines specifically had been the ones I avoid instantly. Despite wanting a few prizes out of there, most of the time I rather see if I can get the said plush even if it meant a higher price tag. At least it felt like a guarantee that I would get the said item unless the seller is a cheating scam artist.